Corrupted
by nothingtodo
Summary: [completed] Troublemaker OC tries her hand on corrupting Jin, unaware that she's the one being changed in the process. :) A Jin x OC fic. Another solid proof that i am going nuts.
1. The Hatching of an Idea

A JIN fic!!! *nothingtodo starts stomping around in her father's office in crazy happiness* I am REALLY going to kill myself writing so many fics. Somebody please stop me! 

PS: This is dedicated for all those who asked me for a Jin fic. There were quite a number, so I won't list them down in case you all want me to shut up so you can get on with the fic. Anyway, ENJOY!!

Chapter 1

            The bell had rung about six seconds ago, and Jin quite suddenly found himself alone in the classroom. Amazed at the speed of his fellow classmates when it came to going-home time, he looked back down at his History homework, which he hadn't finished due to extra practice yesterday. It wasn't supposed to be handed it till the day after tomorrow, but Jin had decided it'd be much better if he finished it now.

            It'll guarantee him an exit from the teacher's wrath.

            Not that he had ever gotten into one, but he'd seen friends get whacked on the head with the thick, History textbook, and as much fun as that had looked, he wouldn't want to experience it for himself, thanks all the same.

            He was quite absorbed with the text and was busily transferring answers from textbook to paper when somebody burst into the class with just enough noise to make him look up with a start. It was one of his classmates – Kat, if he was not mistaken – looking around like a hen with lost chicks.

            "What are you doing here?" Kat demanded then, when she finally noticed him – which took quite some time since he was so quiet. She flipped her messy hair back with an impatient and uneasy hiss.

            Jin looked surprised. "Me? I – well, this is my class too."

            Kat stared at him for a moment. Then, she blinked and relaxed. "Oh, right. You're …uh…-"

            "Jin. Jin Souichirou."

            She waved a hand dismissively. "Jin, right. Sorry. It's just that you're so quiet in class that sometimes we forget that you exist." 

            Jin smiled. "Thanks."

            She blinked again, and then quite suddenly laughed. It was a very lovely sound to hear, and Kat laughed practically every hour. She was one of those who sat at the back and made noises throughout classes. It didn't matter what the subject was – Maths, History, English, Science – she and her pack of friends would always be exchanging jokes at the back of the class and then laughing out loud to distract the class, _and_ annoy the teacher. And as nice as it is to hear her laughter and the rest of her friends', Jin sometimes found himself wanting to fling a book into their mouths so they'll shut up.

            Maybe they won't think he was quiet then, eh?

            "What are you looking for?" Jin asked then, for conversation and good manner's sake. 

            She bit her lip, and then put on a cheery smile. "What makes you think I'm looking for something?" she shot back a question to him. "What if I came here to give you my enjoyable company?" Her eyebrows wriggled suggestively. 

            Jin smiled. "I doubt that."

            She grinned. "I'm just looking for a … book. I left it somewhere." She quickly moved to her desk. "You go on with your work –" she stopped abruptly. "Don't tell me that's History you're doing."

            "It's History."

            She paused in the middle of the class and looked at him sadly. "You're one of those," she said sympathetically. "One of those nerds who finish their work ages before they're due."

            If she thought that was an insult, she was wrong. "I suppose I am." Jin replied easily.

            "And don't tell me your extra curricular attendances are full either."

            "My extra curricular attendances are full." He scrawled off the last answer and then proceeded to double-check his answer sheet. "I'm in the Basketball Sports Club. You?"

            She continued to her desk with a snort and then bent down to check the area. "I'm in the Ballet Dancing Club."

            That jerked his attentions away. With a slight frown, he looked at Kat. "I didn't know there's a Ballet Dancing Club."

            Her head came up and she smirked. "There isn't." She gave a delighted grunt when she found something, and Jin noticed it didn't resemble a book at all. Something white and airy. "I'm not like you, Student President. School doesn't exactly make me excited."

            "I'm not Student President."

            "Well," she said easily, putting the 'book' into her bag and zipping it with amazing speed. "If you continue the way you are, you probably will be. " She flung the bag over her shoulder and walked for the door, but paused by his desk. "Sorry, I call everybody who's your type 'Student President'. I don't like goody-two-shoes like you."

            He acknowledged it calmly. "Okay."

            "Oh?" She seemed surprised. "No comebacks? No I-hate-your-type-too retorts?" 

            "I don't hate you," Jin said sincerely. "So there's no need to say it."

            She smiled disdainfully at him. "You're boring."

            "So I am." He turned back to his History textbook. "But I'd just like to say you shouldn't generalize people into types. It's usually inaccurate."

            She nodded with good humour. "Why, yes, I'm starting to think so too. You're not as wobbly as I thought you'd be."

            "I'm sure that's a compliment."

            "Sarcastic too." She laughed again, and the sound of it tugged at Jin's ears. "Nope," she said. "You're definitely not wobbly and jelly-O-ish – unlike some other nerds I know." She shifted her bag again, holding it protectively. "As a matter of fact, I think you're very interesting." She leaned her face close to his. "And amazingly cute." She straightened again. "It's been nice talking to you."

            "My pleasure," he replied politely.

            Kat left him with his History work, shaking her head with a smile tugging at her lips. _Interesting_, she thought again. _Very interesting.__ Here's a boy in dire need of corruption_.

            Kat loved corrupting people. It was her solid belief that everybody had an evil side to him or her, and she felt it was her job to bring that out. Goody-two-shoes and angels are fake and surreal. Humans are bad, so why hide it?

            _Why hide it, Jin Souichirou?_

I must say that Kat is my FAVOURITE OC so far. Everytime I write about her, I keep having Destiny Child's song 'Nasty Girl' in my head. Oh well, I'm really on hyper mood because of this fic, so don't mind me. Hope you liked that!

PS: I'll be posting my Kiyota fic sometime next week after I revise it. I seem to have gone wrong with the OC and am going to alter her a bit. ^__^ Have fun! And Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslims!! 

PS 2: Which reminds me, I won't be updating for quite some time because I'll be too busy celebrating Hari Raya. ^.^!! I'll start updating again in about two weeks or so! C ya all later!


	2. Corrupt 1

Second chapter!! For some reason, my heart is beating so excitedly. It's never done that before, for such a mere reason as updating a fic. Anyone ever thought of sending me to an asylum?

White Meteor: Hullo! ^_^ I'm glad you were bored with your textbook and read my story instead. He he! And I absolutely agree with your view of Jin. Here's an advice: THROW ALL OF YOUR TEXTBOOKS OUT THE WINDOW. : )

Akane: Thank you, akane!

Fiery-ice: I'm so glad you enjoy my stories. *beams* And no, I doubt I'll die of exhaustion – but if I ever do, you'll be there to cheer me up – right?? What do you want for a reward? 

Fer-chan: Yep, you're right – it's not exactly work. Let's just say my life is so boring that I need to write at least a dozen fics to occupy my time. : ) (I dunno why they always show cooking shows during Ramadhan and not any other month. As if it's not hard enough for us!)

Alexia: I never noticed Jin's competitiveness, actually, but I do know he's one heck of a determined guy!

Patty g: if I do an OC X OC, it'll be an original fic and I'll have to categorize it somewhere else, you know. Anyhow, enjoy! And no, I've no plans for a Hanagata fic, sorry! Ha ha!

Silhouette panther: Yeh, you sound like Ronnie boy. : ) I like Ron, so I don't mind! Ha ha!

Rapt142: Hey, are you Rei142, or are you an entirely different person? (I didn't get much green packets *sob!* but you can add to the number if you want! *holds out her hand*)

Shirodachi: Ha ha! I'm thinking about changing my name … no, actually, I'm not. I rather like it. And it is sort of true, I really don't have anything else to do at home other than write (and watch TV and eat and drink, of course). My mom's telling me I could always pick up the mop and use it, but I'm pretending to be deaf. ^_^ And yes!! Someone has actually noticed my lack of description of my characters!! (to tell you the truth, I've been waiting for so long for that). Do you want to guess why?

sLL: Kiyota fic done. I had to revamp the entire idea because the first one was terrible. Heh heh. Happy birthday to you if it's not too late. Shall I dedicate the Kiyota fic for you as a present?

Jo-sen7: You gotta admit, Jin DOES look a bit nerdy – but in a gorgeous way. ^_^ Kiyota fic ready for your entertainment!

Joy: I like Kat too! Woo hoo! And don't worry, I'm handling my fics pretty okay. If I crack, I can always … *trails off*

Unchained: Yes, I'm malay. Hey, how come you sound so surprised? It's a big compliment for you to read the Jin fic even though you weren't interested, unchained-san. And I hope I've got you hooked, somehow, someway? I'll declare it the biggest achievement of the …um, week? Day? Ha ha!

Krappkarmin: Thanks! I put my readers at the edge of my seat?? *shoves krappkarmin playfully* of course not, you flatterer! Ha ha! Tell me when you've posted your fic, okay? 

Ver: Hello, Ver. I can promsise you it'll be even more interesting *rethinks her statement* er… hopefully!

Lazuli: Yes, I'm going to make a Kiyota – I hope that came out right! Ha ha! Enjoy!

Frozenfemale: Yes, I'm a muslim, and YES, even non-muslims can celebrate!! Why don't you come on over and give me a green packet with a bit of money inside and we'll celebrate together? Ha ha!

Tensaispira: hey! Are you back from your holiday trip? Enjoy this chap!

Super rookie: Arigato! I like corrupted people too – that's cuz I'm one of them! Muahahaha!

Kka: What? What's the feeling your gut?? Tell me!!

Jeano: I'm from Malaysia. : ) 

"Stupendous, Jin!" Kiyota yelled out loudly, doing a celebratory jig on the court on Jin's behalf. "That three-pointer was absolutely AMAZING! UNBELIEVABLE!" He ran around the gym in delight.

            Jin watched amusedly. "I'm just practicing, Kiyota."

            "And he's already this noisy," Maki muttered, standing beside Jin with a shake of the head. "Imagine how much sound he'll produce in a game." He looked at Jin with fake seriousness. "I think you should switch to defence, for our ear's sake."

            Jin laughed even as Kiyota protested defensively. "I'll think about it, Captain," he promised, grinning.

            Maki returned him with a smile and then turned around to call the practice to a close. "Keep up the good work!" he was telling. "And don't forget to switch off the lights when you go out. Kiyota, I think it's your turn to mop the floor."

            Kiyota squeaked. "Again?? But I just did it last week!"

            "Now's a new week. Get on with it."

            Kiyota grumbled all the way to the back of the gym. "So unfair," he accused. "How could anyone make a guy with as much talent as I have do something like mopping??" He peeked into the storeroom. "Hey, where's the mop? How am I supposed to mop without a mop?"

            Maki shrugged, halfway out of the door. "Use your hair. It's long enough."

            "WHAT??"

            Jin laughed. "Bye, Kiyota."

            "Jin! I thought you were my friend!"

            "I've already took over your moping duties five times in the past two months," Jin reminded him. "Besides, I have to go home early. English essay, mind you. See you tomorrow." He stepped out with Kiyota's curses accompanying him and stopped abruptly when someone blocked his way. "Oh, hi Kat. You surprised me."

            She didn't doubt it. He looked as if he'd just seen a dinosaur erupt from the drainpipe. "Just out of mild curiosity," she started casually, "did you pass up the History homework today?"

            He nodded. "I did, yes."

            "Figures."

            She didn't look as though she was about to let him pass, so he stayed where he was, puzzled. "Do you want something from me?" he asked.

            Kat smiled briefly at the suspicious tone. "I saw you play," she said then, purposefully going out of the topic. "You're great. Well, actually, I know nothing about basketball other than the fact that it involves a ball, but from the yells with your name in it, I guess all the jumping and throwing you did were some sort of an art."

            "Kiyota," he supplied. "He likes to yell."

            "Gosh, I would never have known if you hadn't told me."

            That got a smile out of him.

            Pleased that he was a lot more relaxed now, she stepped a little closer. "Are you in a hurry?" As soon as the question poured out, she wondered why she even bothered asking. Obviously, the boy would want to get home to mummy as quickly as possible. "Come spend some time with me," she said quickly before he could answer 'yes'.

            He thought of his English essay. "Where are your friends?"

            "Somewhere," she answered vaguely. "Not here." _But I'll introduce them to you soon enough, darling. Get used to me first._ She hooked an arm around his. "What? You think I'm bad company?" She started to tug him towards the school gate.

            He quickly shook his head at the misunderstanding. "No, of course not. It's just that … well, it's surprising that you're not with them as you usually are and are here instead, in school, which you pointedly told me didn't excite you at all."

            "My friends are a bit busy at the moment. Besides, I like you."

            He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you hated people like me."

            "I changed my mind." She stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "Frankness suits you, dear classmate," she said then, tone unreadable. "It comes out sounding innocent instead of rude." Slyly, she cupped his face in her hands. "I'll be frank with you too. And I'll start by saying that at times, your face makes me want to puke." She grinned as his eyes widened. "But at other times, it simply takes my breath away."

            Complicated people made his head spin. "Which time is it now?"

            She grinned even more. "The time when your face takes my breath away." She released his face and continued pulling him.

            "Then I suppose it's only appropriate to tell you that yours is a pretty sight too."

            She laughed, a warm blush staining her face. "You know, if that was said in a stronger and sexier tone, I would've swooned right down to your feet."

            "Sorry," he apologised. "I'm not strong or sexy."

            She smiled. _We'll work on that_. 

            "And I don't exactly want you dropping over my feet."

            She laughed. "Stop being funny."

            He looked surprised. "I was serious."

            That, of course, made her laugh even harder. They reached the gate and Jin unlocked his bike. "That way," Kat pointed to the right.

            Jin looked longingly at the left. His house was over in that direction. "Why don't we –" he tried.

            "That way." Kat said firmly, still pointing to the right.

            Jin sighed. It was his definite opinion that you should never argue with girls. It's a waste of time as they usually win anyway. He nodded his reluctant agreement. 

            Kiyota had just stepped out of the gym when he saw Jin cycle off with a girl on his back. _English essay, my ass!_

            "So he took out a pistol," Kat was enthusiastically telling Jin. "A REAL pistol, the ones that police use, you know? So anyway, he was threatening us with all sorts of death threats – I tell you, gangsters have the worst imagination – and he pulled the trigger." She turned to Jin to deliver the punch line of the story. "There wasn't any bullet inside."

            Jin stared at her. "Isn't it illegal to carry around weapons like that?"

            Kat slapped her forehead in distress. "You were supposed to laugh Jin," she sighed. "Not go and spoil it with law."

            "I mean it. He could be arrested for that."

            She made a note to herself not to tell him any more jokes. "He was arrested shortly after that," she assured. "Though for an entirely different reason. Hey, you see that chocolate shop over there?" She pointed. "Let's go."

            Jin allowed himself to be dragged around again as he entertained his thoughts. "You hang out with those people?" he asked out of the blue. "People who threaten to kill you with empty guns and firearms?"

            She didn't answer for a while, wondering if he was ready for the information of the society she was about to make him join. "Not hang out, exactly," she replied carefully. "We bump into each other from time to time, and it's like live wires rubbing together. Sparks just erupt." She gave him a reassuring look. "But nothing serious has happened."

            "Not yet," he muttered under his breath.

            Kat laughed easily. "This one's really good," she said then, plucking a chocolate stick from the full container. "You'll love it at first taste." Then, casually, she pocketed it.

            Jin stared at her. "What are you doing?"

            "Standing. Why?"

            "You're stealing," he took out the chocolate stick from her pocket and placed it back into the container. "That's wrong."

            Kat was smiling. Almost challengingly, she took _two _chocolate sticks and put them in her pocket again. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

            Jin looked back at her in distress. "Stop it," he murmured, about to take the chocolate sticks back when her fingers came around and curled over his. His eyes snapped to hers.

            "It's just chocolate, Jin," she said quietly. "You're making too much of a big deal. What's a chocolate or two going to cost the shopkeeper?"

            "Profit he deserves."

            Kat glanced at the man manning the counter who was busy entertaining an especially demanding kid. "He's a money leech," she said distastefully. "All the chocolates here are priced double their worth. There's no such thing as 'profit he deserves'."

            "It's wrong to steal, Kat." 

            She snorted. "So it says in the book of morals." 

            "Put them back."

            The shopkeeper looked their way at the sudden tension. 

            Kat smiled easily and quietly released Jin's hand. He quickly returned the chocolate sticks to their rightful place and walked out of the shop. Kat nonchalantly followed, looking for the world as if nothing had happened. She studied Jin's back, smiling with amusement, unsure if she was annoyed or challenged.

            He was walking straight for his parked bike. "It's late," he said then, almost stiffly, avoiding her eyes. "I should be going home."

            Kat looked at the sky, thought it was still babyishly early, but decided not to say anything about it. Grunting, she took hold of Jin's arm, and as soon as he turned to look at her, grabbed his face and pulled it down to hers to kiss his unsuspecting lips.

            He froze, unable to react.

            She pulled back. "Mmm. We should do this more often." Her eyebrows arched. "Going out, I mean. Though I wouldn't mind kissing you again."

            He simply stared at her and then stiffly turned away.

            Kat watched speculatively as he cycled off for home. It seems Souichirou Jin would be harder to manipulate – much less change – than she had earlier on thought. 

            She had a long way to go.

            Kat smiled at the thought.

            _Good_. 

Hooray! *throws confetti* for some reason, this fic makes me happy. Anyway, hope you like it!


	3. Canteen Scene

Third chappie! 

Disclaimer: Not mine. Enuff said.

Fer-chan: *nothingtodo picks fer-chan who is sprawled on her butt up* Tsk tsk that's what you get for fooling around with Jin. Lucky Kat didn't see you!

Fiery-ice: I'll be there for youuuuuu… I like that song too!

Frozenfemale: *watches as Kat kicks frozenfemale right back* Ha ha!

Shirodachi: Actually, the original reason for not putting in descriptions for my OC's was because I wanted the readersto put themselves as the OC's. Should be easier without me mooning on how pretty or ugly they are. Then it was because I was afraid if I described them, then the OC would turn into a Mary Sue or the Hunchback of Notre Dame. And then it was because I simply don't know what they look like! Ha ha!

Leaviathan: Thank you!

Unchained: You're hooked! Hooray! *throws confetti*

Akane: Thank you!

Alexia: I didn't realise there was a mistake (WHY IS THERE ALWAYS MISTAKES LIKE THAT?? Is it me, or is it the computer? I remember that sentence was JUST FINE when I uploaded it!) I'll fix it! Thanks!

SLL: What did Kiyota do to make you squeal? *racks her memory* You read my fics in order? What sort of order?? 

Lambie: He he… *goes off dragging Jin behind her so Lambie wouldn't know what the authoress is doing with him*

Tensaispira: I say I agree!

Tiran: *in an imperious tone* You are forgiven. *changes tone* Ha ha! I hope this fic will make you like Jin more and more (just like what's happening to me too!)

Jo-sen7: Thank you! I lurve Kat too! Bad girls rock!

Krappkarmin: Yes, Kat's trying to make Jin more like her. Will Jin change her in the end? I dunno! I'm trying to find a way to make that happen!! Whoa – that's a huge concept of a story you got there. I've read those about the boys going to universities and stuff like that, but never quite the same as your plot. It'll be a HIT! I'll wait. : )

Lazuli: I'm a hentai, which is why kissing scenes are appearing quite rapidly. Ha ha!

Mimi: I like bad girls too. They're more fun. : ) And yes, I'm pretty sure I have nothing to do. :D

Xiaoj: Hey, how do I pronounce your nickname? *attempts to do it and twists her tongue in the process* Thanks for your support!

Joy: *plops down to interview Jin* Sir, was that kiss with Kat your very first one?? *Sees Jin take off in panic and scratches her head* Hey, it was just a question.

Patty g: Thanks for liking this fic!

Jeano: next chapter up! (or will be, once I finish replying the reviews!)

Rapt142: Am continuing! Sorry about the rather late update *starts thinking of excuses* Um, well, you see, I was… etc

Picky-devil: I don't know about Jin's sense of fun, but I agree with you that the guy suffers enough just being with Kiyota!

Kka: What sort of corruption were you thinking of, kka? *eyebrows raised* Is it something that will compel me to throw more fruits at you?

"So," Kiyota muttered as he slammed his tray full of food next to Jin on the empty table. "How did your English essay go?"

            Jin paused in the act of popping a mushroom in his mouth. "Fine," he answered, slightly puzzled at the testy tone. "I just handed it in a few hours ago. Why do you ask?"

            Kiyota glared at him.

            Jin scratched his head, completely confused. "I didn't know you were keeping track of my English homework," he reasoned. "If I had, I'd have informed you earlier on. I have another essay to do by the way – on whales, in case you're interested to know."

            Kiyota shook his head. "Forget it."      

            Question marks popped all over Jin's face, but he let the subject drop. Returning to his food, he only looked up briefly and gave a wave to Maki when his captain stepped into the canteen, causing quite a stir among the girls. He clearly heard Kiyota's jealous grunts.

            "I want girls to fawn over me too," Kiyota grumbled moodily.

            Jin laughed. "In the next two years, Kiyota," he promised. "In the next two years."

            Kiyota gave him a side look. "How come you're not even the slightest bit jealous?" he inquired curiously. "How come you're not desperate for girls to pay attention to you? How come you're all cool and confident, like you have a dozen strings of girlfriends to boast about?"

            "Girls are confusing enough as they are," Jin replied smoothly, setting aside the carrots in his dishes and looking for a discreet place to throw it away. "They're better off without me in their way. Besides, I'm not exactly the hulking-macho-heart-throb-Maki type." He smiled then, remembering something. "I'm the nerd-student-president type."

            Kiyota stared at his friend, wondering if it was just Jin's bizarre sense of humour, or if the guy had never gotten the chance to look at himself in the mirror. Then, distracted when he caught sight of something, he grunted again. "Speaking of girls," he muttered meaningfully. "There's yours."

            "Huh?" Surprised, Jin followed Kiyota's gaze and his eyes fell on Kat. She was in the middle of her large group of friends, who were climbing up the table one after another to perform an obscure jig unknown to mankind, much to the amusement of the other students. She was enthusiastically shouting out encouragements, and when she caught his eye, she merely looked back steadily. Then she gave him a saucy wink.

            Returning it with an unsure, awkward smile, Jin resolutely turned around and paid extra attention to his remaining food. "She's not my girl."

            "Oh?" Kiyota didn't look convinced. "Well then, I'd work on that if I were you." He turned back to look at Kat. "A bit on the wild side, perhaps, but pretty all the same."

            Jin grunted. "There's more to a girl than her looks."

            "But that's the only thing you can see." Kiyota countered with practice. "You can't see the heart or the brain, so why bother making an issue out of it?" When Jin shot him a stern look, he laughed out loud. "All right. I was just joking. No need to get all morally tied up about it." Pleased now that he had more or less gotten his revenge, he dipped a spoon into his soup – and nearly dropped it when Kat and a female friend slid into the seat in front of them.

            "Hi."

            Jin and Kiyota blinked. "H-hi."

            "My friend wants to meet you," Kat explained briefly before turning to the girl beside her. "That's Jin."

            "So he's the one," the friend said indifferently. "I know him. I've seen him before. He was trying to help this kid retrieve a toy from inside a three-feet deep drain filled with dirt and dung, right next to the supermarket." She grinned at Jin. "I still remember how you looked like then, boy-o."

            Jin flushed.

            Kat looked at him quietly. "You're such a nice boy, Jin," she said almost regretfully. "And no, that was not meant as compliment."

            The anonymous friend peered curiously and closely at him then. "Still," she murmured wistfully, "he looks a whole lot cuter without dirt and dust clinging to his face."

            "Very cute," Kat agreed keenly. "Heart-breakingly cute."

            Kiyota grunted then. "What about me?" he asked, annoyed at being shoved to the side.

            Kat looked at him. "Ah," she said, snapping her fingers. "You're the yelling boy."

            Kiyota gaped even as Jin coughed uncomfortably. "WHAT??"

            Laughing, both Kat and her friend stood up to leave (with Kiyota muttering away in the background – "Yelling boy? YELLING BOY?? WHO'S THE YELLING BOY HERE?? I DON'T YELL! HOW DARE SHE …" etc). "Nice to meet you, Jin," the friend said, stifling a yawn. "See you around." She paused and arched a look in Kat's direction. "Or should I say, see you _again_?" She wriggled her eyebrow.

            Kat smiled charmingly. "Soon. See you soon." She circled the table and stopped right by Jin's side. He looked up in surprise and bewilderment. "Open your mouth."

            Jin stared at her. "Wha-"

            She crushed her mouth to his, tongue and all, for the second time putting him in immobility at the unexpected move. It lasted for quite some time. Grunting in satisfaction as she pulled back, Kat wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, did the same to his and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "See you." And then she was walking away as if nothing had happened, her friend smirking interestedly behind her.

            He stared dazedly at the empty air.

            Kiyota released a low whistle. "When did you two get married?? And more importantly, why wasn't I  invited??"

            Jin looked blankly at his friend. "I didn't understand any of that," he confessed in a small tone, still trying to breathe normally. "Except the part about me helping a boy retrieve his toy." He looked back at Kat, who was about to turn around a corner. "What does she want from me?" That was asked almost helplessly.

            Kiyota nudged him in the elbow. "I think that would be obvious enough, even for someone as dull-witted as you."

            Jin didn't reply. Then, sub-consciously, he rubbed his lips with his own hand.

            "He's a straight, no-nonsense type of a guy," Kat's friend was lecturing as they walked down the hallway. "I doubt he'll take to our type of activities. I mean, when I picture him wearing leather and riding a macho bike? I feel like laughing till my stomach pops out." She paused thoughtfully then, rubbing her chin. "But on second thought…"

            Kat gave her a sidelong look. "My sensors are picking up dirty thoughts radiating from your brain, Yuma." Her tone grew sharp. "Stop it. It's disgusting."

            Yuma gave her a naughty look. "Like you're not having some yourself."

            "None of your business."

            Yuma laughed delightedly at the dead give-away. "Honestly speaking though," she continued. "I really don't see why you're wasting your efforts on someone like him. You think you can talk him into smoking? You think he'll comply with taking drugs? You think he's going to willingly do whatever you tell him to do?" Yuma snorted. "Get real, Kat. He's not Kuwata."

            "Your confidence in me is very touching, Yuma," Kat muttered dryly. "Kuwata was just a side entertainment He's happy enough all alone with his drugs. Jin, on the other hand, is the REAL thing." 

            Yuma sighed. "I don't want to sound bossy or unsupportive," she started. "I mean, it's your business, time, effort and energy if you want to go around adding the number of drug addicts and punks like us. But why Jin?" She gestured with her hand at a particularly weedy-looking student loitering by his locker. "Why not someone like this one? Should be a whole lot easier and less frustrating for you."

            Kat looked at the person Yuma pointed out and grunted dismissively. "I don't know," she confessed. "I just have my eyes set on Jin, for some reason."

            Yuma smiled. "Just your eyes? I recall your hands and mouth getting a little busy as well."

            She ignored that. "It's his face," she decided. "Such an angelic and innocent one." She let out a snort. "I mean, that guy does everything right. You'd think he was perfect. The whole universe would collapse if he so much as uttered a tiny swear word." Kat grinned. "And I happen to like making the universe collapse."

            "I know that very well."

            "I'll turn him into someone cooler," Kat declared. "I'll introduce him to the real joys of living, and he'll be thanking me on his knees before we're even done."

            Yuma smiled. "Your problem," she shrugged, and then turned to go down the opposite direction. Then she paused and turned back. "One thing, Kat," she called out.

            Kat raised an eyebrow. 

            "Don't get entangled yourself."

            She didn't look as if she understood, but then slowly her eyes narrowed. "I _am_ getting a little too personal with him, aren't I?" she mused quietly, slightly alarmed. "It's his face." She reasoned quickly. "It's his damn, pretty face."

            "I agree," Yuma said comfortingly. "And I don't blame you at all for having a crush on him. Actually, I seem to be developing one as well." She laughed. "Just watch out for yourself, all right? We don't want unplanned things to happen now, do we?"

            Kat glared. "What's that supposed to mean??"

            "Nothing." Yuma walked away whistling, carefully hiding her smile from Kat's view. "Nothing at all."


	4. Dinner

Fourth chapter!! Thanks for reading this!

Unchained: Are you Malay?? (Luckily, his full name isn't Maki Hamun) ^_^

Alexia: No, you don't sound like a bitch. ^_^ And I agree with you about Kiyota. Someone that good-looking SHOULD be popular.

Akane: updated!

Lambie: How do I update all at once? Um, I log in, and then I go to the Document Manager and then  - hey, you should know! You're an author too! 

White Meteor: What does ROTFLMAO stands for? 

Fer-chan: Getting personal with Kat, aren't you?

Frozenfemale: Uploaded!

White soul: Thank you. Me am Rukawa admirer too! *drool*

Tensaispira: 'Seems it isn't just the sd male charcters'. What does that mean? 

SLL: You like Jin in leather and riding a motorbike? Ha ha! 

Fiery-ice: Me? Get annoyed at you praising me? You mean you're actually praising me?? ^_^ It's not like I get praised THAT often as to be able to get annoyed about it!! And no, you're not weird. I like cooking too, the only thing is, I can't cook.

Kkk: What happened to the 'a' at the back of your name? 

Silver Leviathan: I didn't realise those names rhymed!! I didn't do it on purpose! 

Jo-sen7: Will he or will he not get hurt? *plucks at flower*

Jeano: Uploaded!

Tiran: Thanks for liking it! ^_^

Super rookie: Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too *ignores the fact that it's already New year*

Patty g: We'll see about the leather and the bike. : )

Silhouette panther: *nods in agreement* very kawaii… yup yup…

Xiaoj: Thank you!

Joy: *pictures Jin in a suit* Oh boy… 

            She was waiting by his bike right after the basketball team was dismissed. Jin stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw her, and a slightly distressed look wavered across his face for a moment. Kat saw it – clearly – and felt a sudden burst of irritation. It wasn't like she was about to murder him or anything, for goodness' sake. 

            Then he continued to walk towards her – well, actually, towards his bike, but Kat would rather fantasize him walking for her. He gave a brief smile, "Do you need anything?" and then quickly bent down to unlock his bike. 

            A cautious move, indeed. The fact that he was doing all he could to make sure they don't get any friendlier than they already were annoyed her. But she kept her patient smile in place. She waited until he had straightened himself up so they were face-to-face. "Come and have dinner with me." She invited. "My treat."

            He rubbed his nose. "My family's expecting me."

            "You always eat dinner with your family?"

            "Everyday, yes."

            Kat cocked her head to one side. "How sweet." Then she straightened her neck. "Are they going to start a World War if you don't show up for once?"

            He shook his head at the absurd question. "No, of course not."

            "Then, there's really no harm to come with me, is there?"

            He tried to come up with other excuses. Being with the girl made him nervous, especially when he couldn't tell what her intentions are. "Well… um," he gave up. "I guess not."

            "Good." One blink, and she was already settling herself comfortably at the back of his bike. "Let's go."

            He sighed slowly. "Okay."

            "It's honest food," she said brightly then, eyes twinkling. "Not stolen ones, so don't worry."

            He smiled weakly.

            She studied his worried face and laughed. Casually dangling her arms over his shoulders, she bent down to blow a warm breath in his ear, testing.

            He flinched slightly, and his grip on the handle tightened – just as expected.

            "Relax," she patted his head. "I'll make sure we don't get lost."

            He wasn't sure if she was talking about the road or their confusing relationship.

            "You better eat that," Kat muttered warningly as Jin poked holes in his cooling noodles. "I'm not sacrificing three thousand yen just to see you play around with your food."

            He didn't react. 

            Kat released a snort and popped one fish ball into her mouth. She took another one and was about to put it in Jin's mouth too when he swiftly leaned back and avoided her hand. They stared coolly at each other. 

            Kat lowered her hand slowly to the table and angrily fisted it.

            Jin looked down at his full bowl. "What do you want from me, Kat?" he asked quietly, despite the growing tension.

            He didn't see her eyes catch fire, but he did hear her feral growl. Kat pushed her empty bowl out of the way, and her hand snaked out to grab him roughly by the collar. "Why do you keep asking me that?" she demanded heatedly, ignoring the stares they were receiving. "Why is it that every time you so much as see my nose, that sentence pops out of your mouth?" She glared. "Why must I always want something from you??"

            "I don't know," he confessed. "I just don't get why you're being so nice to me."

            Her eyes narrowed further. "Are you saying I'm not a nice person?"

            "No," he quickly denied. "Of course not. It's just that…" he released an impatient hiss. "Listen, Kat, you've never spoken a vowel to me in the one and a half year we've been classmates. And then suddenly you're wanting to take me to dinner and all. It's puzzling."

            She snorted. "So I decided to get to know you eighteen months too late. So what?"

            "So I want to know what it is you're hoping to get from me."

            Her face darkened at the similar statement again. Without warning, her grip on his collar tightened and she hauled him half across the table, meshing their faces up close together. "Don't you ever ask me that question again," she said forebodingly. "It's a stupid thing to ask."

            He didn't flinch. "I think I have a right to know, no matter how stupid it is."

            Her disgusted grunt was loud and disapproving. She pushed him away and stared stonily out the glass window. "It's very nice," she was muttering, "to be suspiciously questioned as if you're a thief when all you want is to be friends."

            He sighed. "You don't want to be friends with me," he told her. "You have dozens already." He took a deep breath then. "I've heard a lot about you," he informed. "From people to whom you've done what you're doing to me."

            Kat's eyes narrowed. "And just exactly who are they?"

            "A girl you got friendly with because she had access to her father's account. A guy you seduced because he's the son of the town mayor. And another one you messed up because he broke up with your friend and hurt her."

            Kat's knuckles had turned white as he listed his evidences, but she painfully kept calm. "You think I'm doing the same to you?" she asked with a wry smile. "Sorry, but you don't have access to your father's account, neither are you a mayor's son or anybody connected with my friends."

            "Exactly," he agreed. "I have nothing to my advantage, and nothing to compel you to take revenge, which is why I'm asking you right out what you want. If it's possible, I'll give it to you so you don't have to bother with me anymore."

            The guy sure had a funny way of manipulating arguments. "I'll tell you what I want from you," she leaned forward. "I want your time, patience and company."

            He blinked. "Why?"

            "Because I like you." She merely grinned at the doubtful look on his face. "I know. I don't believe it myself. But I told you I'll be frank with you, didn't I? And I can frankly tell you that even when you're annoying me like this, I enjoy being around you. I think I'm attracted to you, which isn't really all that bad." _All the more reason why I should alter you to fit with my companions. _

            Jin was looking determinedly at the table, his face flaming, not used to this type of talk.

            She laughed. "Aren't you going to be frank with me too?"

            "I'm a little bit confused," he murmured. 

            "You sure look it." Kat rested her head on her palm. "Guys like you don't watch soap operas, so naturally you won't understand." She placed a warm hand on his, pleased when he finally looked up to her. "We'll take this slowly. I want to be your friend. Can I?"

            _Is that all? He seemed flustered. "Of course."_

            "And I want you to like me. Do you?"

            His face reddened. "Yes, I like you."

            _But then again, Kat thought dryly, __he likes everybody. Still, it didn't dissuade her from feeling happy about it. "Also, I want to be able to join you in your activities – and vice versa – without you asking me what I want from you."_

            A small smile broke over his face. "All right."

            "And now that we're officially friends, I want you to finish your soup."

            He picked up his spoon.

            "And –"

            The look on his face was part amused and part astonished. "You're very demanding."

            She smiled. "It's just the beginning. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I feel like it."

            He looked startled. "You've done that several times by now."

            "And I enjoyed every second of it."

            He flushed again. "All right."

            "I'm not done yet." She muttered as he bent to eat his soup. "I want you to kiss me back whenever I do the same to you. You never did before."

            He couldn't possibly turn any redder. "Okay."

            "And I want you do it now."

            Pause.

            "Okay."

            Action. (a/n: no need to describe it now, is there? ^_^)

            Kat grinned easily as he turned to his food once again in an attempt to finish it. Quite unashamedly, she looked pointedly at the staring spectators around the restaurant. "We've finished fighting," she announced jubilantly. "We're friends again. Thank you for your attention, everybody!"

            Suddenly all eyes were furiously directed downwards.

            Jin laughed lightly.

            Kat rolled her eyes and then fondly watched him eat. "Aren't you going to tell me what you want from me too?" she questioned. "I feel guilty imposing so many requests on you. Give me just as many, why don't you?"

            He thought about it. "Only one."

            Kat raised an eyebrow. "You're very easy." She shrugged. "What is it? I'll fulfil it if it's possible."

            He looked at her right in the eye in that quiet, overwhelming way some people possess that made the surroundings fade. "Don't hurt me." Then, with a quick smile, he turned back to his bowl.

            Kat simply stared at him.

*nothingtodo stares at Jin too, though for a completely different reason* Kawaii…


	5. funfair

Have fun reading!

Maemi: I'll be one of those girls. I don't care if Kat's my OC or not.

Tsongmandude: Whoa! I had trouble typing your name there! Thanks a lot! A crush on Kat, eh? 

White Meteor: Thanks! (ROTFLMAO thing) It'd be quite interesting if I make Kat hateable, don't you think?

Unchained: I like kat too! Thanks!

Tensaispira: Thanks!

Fiery-ice: My way of relaxing is to clench my teeth and glare at everything and everyone in sight. Five seconds later, I'm an angel again. ^_^

Akane: Updated!

Frozenfemale: he he! Hey, Jin must be easy since he has to deal with Kiyota!!

December Morning Owl: Thank you!

Krappkarmin: Yay! Tell me when the fic's done. I don't have the luxury to lazily read fic by fic, so I need you to tell me! Please??

Kka: What was the 'a'? And what's whatchumakallits? (am very blur!)

Alexia: Whoa, you actually said Jin's more kawaii than Fujima?? Where's your loyalty, girl?? Ha ha !

Super rookie: Thank you!

Jeano: Warmed up, eh? Am facing the same school blues!

Fer-chan: *untilts fer-chan's head* Yup! What's a WAFFY fic?

Patty g: I'm the one looking at him. Reason very obvious.

White soul: What's gonna happen? Find out! Me won't tell ya!

Silhouette Panther: I'd like to know how to, so I can do it to other people! Ha ha! Thanks a lot, panther-chan!

Aeris: Thank you!

"You're sure spending a lot of time with that girl," Kiyota commented during in-between classes where students rush for the toilets or their lockers. 

            Jin was frantically searching for his book, his locker ajar. "Where is it? Where is it??"

            Kiyota's lips thinned. "Are you listening to me??"

            "Yes, of course. Have you seen my Basic English workbook??"

            "You're not listening to me." Kiyota accused.

            "Where's my workbook??"

            Kiyota straightened huffily. "I'm going back to class," he muttered. "At least they will listen to me there. The bell will ring in exactly ten seconds."

            "TEN SECONDS??"

            "You bet." Kiyota tapped his watch fondly.

            "But my workbook! I haven't –"

            "Five – four –"

            "I'm toast!"

            "Three – two –"

            RIIIIIINGG!"

            "Zero." Kiyota flashed a smug smile as he disappeared down the hallway, leaving Jin slumped over his locker. "It was right here," Jin muttered in disbelief. "I swear I left it right here." He could see some of his classmates already entering class, and quickly looked up to the ceiling. "Please let me come out in the next one hour alive."

            "That's something you don't see everyday," Kat was suddenly right behind him, a toilet pass swinging in her right hand. "Souichirou Jin looking anxious and scared and praying to the ceiling." She grinned. "Something wrong?"

            Jin conjured a weak smile. "I've lost my workbook."

            Kat's eyes widened tragically. "Oh no! Armageddon! How could this have happened??"

            Jin's weak smile turned wry. "Ha ha. I'll have you know that this workbook is 15 % of the end of year exams." He looked back at the class nervously. The teacher still wasn't in. Good. Some more time to search –

            "You can always sneak it into the teacher's room some time later," Kat shrugged. "He won't know you passed up late."

            Jin's head was back inside his locker. "He will when he does the name list check at the end of the lesson." Even in his neat pile of his books, there wasn't any trace of the important chunk of a workbook.

            "You won't have to be there to be checked."

            His head popped out. "What do you mean?"

            "Skip, doofus. Pretend you're sick or something and that you have to be at the sick bay." She took his hand. "And then come with me. I know this little place where the teachers won't find us."

            "I don't know, Kat -"

            "Oh, come on. As if you've never skipped a class before."

            "Um, actually, no, I've never."

            Her eyes brightened persuasively. "Then let's make this your first one. You can even jot it down in your diary at the end of the day as one of your greatest accomplishments." She gave a soft smile. "Just this once." 

            Jin looked very unsure.

            "Look, it's a win-win situation. The teacher will accept anything you say since you've virtually never done anything wrong in his eyes and you don't get scolded in front of the world about something as pathetic as a late homework. And I get some company – and a little bit of fun as well."

            Her fingers had somehow travelled to the button of his collar unnoticed. 

            Jin released a breath. "No, I don't think so. I'm sure I'll find the book in a matter of minutes –"

            He was interrupted by Kat's groan, which she quickly tried to hide with a small shrug. "Okay then," she said, still twirling the toilet pass. "Tell the teacher I have a stomach ache or anything convincing." She gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked off.

            "Where are you going?" he asked. "Come back to class. What if the teachers catch you?"

            She flashed the toilet pass at him. "I've got a permission pass here, can't you see?"

            "What are you going to do in the toilet?"

            The look she gave him was slightly suggestive. "Why? You want to join me?" She laughed when he turned red. "Who said I was going to the toilet? I'm only pretending I'm going there."

            "We have a class, Kat."

            "You're making it hard for me to forget that fact. So?"

            "We're probably learning something new today."

            "Right, like how to spell caterpillar and make a sentence out of it. Very, very interesting." She stopped at the turn around the corridor. "Why don't I look for you after school and ask you about it? Make sure you're free then."

            He couldn't find a reply for that.

            She smirked. "Now be a good boy and pass up your homework. The teacher's coming." Then she disappeared.

            Jin looked over his shoulder to see the teacher stepping on the last step of the stairs. He quickly rushed into the class and took his seat. Astonishingly, his workbook was right on top of his desk. For absolutely no reason at all, he found himself looking over at Kat's empty seat, surrounded by three other empty seats belonging to her friends.

            "We're just friends," Jin insisted with a slight panicked tone. "I – she – we – we're just friends. Really."

            Both Kiyota and Maki were staring at him as if they were seeing him for the first time. "You know something, Kiyota?" Maki muttered.

            "No, Maki. I don't. But I'm sure you'll tell me."

            "Jin has never been an excellent liar, don't you agree?"

            Kiyota was grinning. "Yep."

            "And he's obviously lying now, isn't he?"

            "Double yep."

            Jin scratched his head helplessly, confronted and surrounded by the two guys. "No, really," he tried again. "We just eat together sometimes. Talk and all that. I help her with her homework – sometimes, when she asks me to. And we go out and spend time together when she's bored. Just that. You know, things friends do."

            Maki crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Jin," he said pointedly. "I agree that friends eat together, help with homework and go out, but alone?? That's an entirely different thing. Besides," his eyes glinted, "friends don't kiss."

            Jin blushed a crimson shade. "No, that's – well, it's – no, it's just –" he blew a frustrated breath. "It's sort of like a hobby to her."

            Kiyota tooted. "Hobby?"

            "She … well, she likes to, um, well, she's very affectionate, and you see, we –"

            "Do it as a hobby?" Kiyota egged. "Hobby, eh?"

            "What I'm saying is, it's not … serious or anything, you know, just a –"

            "Hobby." Kiyota finished and watched Jin close his eyes in utter uselessness.

            "Never mind," Maki said then, eyes already somewhere else. "Here comes the main female lead." Kat was halfway around the corner of the hallway, busily waving her hands at her friends to prove her point. 

            "Good, I'll go ask her," Kiyota volunteered, even as Jin paled.

            Maki nodded. "Don't be too obvious."

            Kiyota winked. "Of course not. I'm not an idiot. Trust me." He rushed for Kat and yelled out loud: "Hey, you! Are you Jin's girlfriend??"

            Both Maki and Jin slapped their foreheads (one in disgust, and one in sheer mortification).

            Kat and her friends paused (Kat's hand poised to poke her friend's nose), staring at Kiyota with unblinking eyes. Then – "Sorry, yelling boy?"

            Kiyota hissed. "I'm not yelling boy," he corrected firmly. "I said, ARE YOU JIN'S GIRLFRIEND??"

            "Maki," Jin muttered as busybodies stopped and looked at him. "Bury me. Now."

            However, Kat was grinning, whereas her friends snickered behind her. When she gave him a quick glance, Jin didn't know where to hide his face. "Not yet," she answered good-naturedly, obviously amused. "We're just friends. Why do you ask?" her eyebrows rose. "Do YOU want to be his boyfriend? Are you gay?"

            Kiyota ignored that. "They're just the same," he complained to Maki. "Neither would come out clean."

            Maki shrugged. "Time will tell. Let's get out of here."

            And they went off, Kiyota skipping gleefully and turning back every now and then to flash a grin at Jin, left alone to deal with shame. Jin rubbed his temples. "Sorry," he apologised quickly to the still-grinning Kat. "He's a bit … corky today. Don't know what got into his brain."

            "I bet," she muttered. "I was just on my way to find you anyway." She stepped up to him. "What did you learn in English?"

            "New words," he recited. "Letter-writing formats. And a bit of pronunciation."

            She nodded with fake enthusiasm. "Boring, boring, and boring. You have basketball practice today?"

            "No. It's Friday. It's Societies' Day."

            "Good. My friends and I were just thinking about dragging you along to this little fun fair over on the other side of town." Behind her, her friends smiled sweetly at him. "Come."

            He thought about it.

            "Maths isn't supposed to be passed up till Monday." Kat supplied with a slight roll of her eyes. "Same goes for History. You have the entire weekend to work on it." She smiled then. "And you've already done half of it, haven't you?"

            "No, not half. Just one or two questions."

            "Yeah, well, never mind. Coming?"

            He couldn't find anything wrong with that, so he nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

            They were practically the only ones in school uniform there. Others had gone through the trouble of rushing home and changing. Their large group (10 altogether) bustled in and out of the crowd. Some guys had joined in as well, but for some reason, Jin couldn't find a single thing to talk to them about, so he just tagged quietly along.

            Not that he wasn't 'out' enough in the first place. As far as he had noticed, he was the only one with nothing pierced on his face. His flat hair contrasted with the spiky and sky-reaching ones belonging to others and his crisp, white shirt dulled the colour of the rest's mud-splattered clothes. And the fact that others hunched and he didn't made him tower above everybody else all the more.

            "Hey, Jin, you, like, watch wrestling?" one asked him.

            Jin stared and then shook his head. "Uh, no, sorry."

            "Bummer. You're missing a lot, man. Just yesterday, that American dude delivered this flying kick," the guy stopped and posed. "Kind of like this." He leaped up with his feet high and swinging. Jin evaded it in a fracture of a second thanks to instinct.

            The other two protested. "What a bad imitation, you cow. It's like this." Jin ducked as they too performed. "Like that, see? That's how he did it."

            Jin smiled weakly. "I'll uh, take your word for it." He assured. "No need for demonstrations."

            "And then he gave this mighty punch –" the guy generously swung his arm, enthusiastically trying to make Jin understand. "And then he slammed him in the gut," he grabbed Jin to       show how it was done. "You know, like this –"

            "Candy!" Kat yelled out loud, pushing bright coloured sugar fluffs in their faces. "And take your hands off him, Miyoshi."

            "It was a cool show, man," Miyoshi insisted to Jin as he released the boy. "I would have loved to show you more of what that guy did. He was so super strong. Like, made of steel or something."

            "Right," Jin nodded quickly, stepping aside. "Right."

            "Energetic," Kat informed him, standing at his side. "Miyoshi's mad about wrestling. He copies the movements at home. Broke his neck once."

            "Neck? _Only_?"

            She grinned. "Oh, look, they're going off already. We have to catch up."

            Jin followed dazedly, images of Miyoshi cracking his head off with a wrestling technique playing in his mind. Unconsciously, he rubbed his own neck to make sure it was still attached to where it was supposed to be attached. He followed Kat to the back of a billowing tent and looked on in mild surprise as they settled themselves on the ground.

            "Sit," Kat pulled him down. "Let's take a breather here."

            The others muttered agreements and took out a packet of cigarettes each while the other hand flipped out expensive lighters. Jin stared. "That's a breather?"

            Kat laughed, while the others only snorted with understanding at the beginner's gullibility. "Sort of."

            "But it's supposed to make it even harder for you to breathe."

            "Only if you take huge doses of it," Miyoshi said flippantly. "Besides, it's not like an instant death or anything."

            "No, which is much worse because you'll have to tolerate all the pain and diseases it's going to cost you."

            They snickered at Jin's seriousness. "It's not like we want to live up to a hundred," Yuma shrugged, crushing her empty packet. "We'll all die anyway. So might as well take the pleasure of smoking while we're still alive to take it."

            "I don't think the pleasure is worth risking our health."

            Kat patted him on the shoulder. "You don't know, Jin," she said patiently. "Try it for yourself and then you can tell me what's worth it and what's not." She dropped one in his lap and waited with a lighted lighter.

            He stared at it.

            "Are you always this rigid?" Miyoshi asked curiously, already puffing away. "Relax, damn it. It's not like we're in school. It's a free country, Jin. Everybody smokes. All the cool people smoke. It's a trend."

            Jin looked at him almost innocently. "I'm not trying to be cool." He said pointedly. "I don't feel the need to impress people or follow trends."

            They looked at him with sad faces. "He's hopeless," they declared with a sigh. 

            Kat snorted. Deciding to take actions herself, she retrieved the cigarette she'd offered Jin and lighted it. Then, she pushed it into his mouth. He spat it right out and backed away a bit. "Look," he said firmly, trying to get rid of the bitter taste. "You can smoke all you want. I don't mind. But keep me out of it." His face crunched up. "Ugh!"

            "It's always like that the first few times," Kat assured. "But you'll get used to the taste after the third try."

            "No, no thanks." His tongue flickered restlessly in his mouth. "It's terrible."

            Kat opened her mouth to persuade again, but Yuma's hand on her arm distracted her. "Leave it," Yuma whispered. "You can't push too hard. He's brittle." And then she grinned an I-told-you-so grin.

            Kat released a short snort. "Tell you what," she said brightly to the others. "Jin and I will just walk around some more. We'll meet you at the front entrance in an hour or so." They grunted their approval, looking almost relieved that Kat was leading Jin away. 

            "Why is she even wasting her time on him?" Miyoshi muttered dismally as the two walked off. "He's such a dope."

            "Who can say?" Yuma shrugged, already stealing a second cigarette from another friend. "Love _is_ blind, after all."

            "What?"

            "No, nothing." Yuma searched for her lighter. "Nothing."

            "It's hazardous," Jin was saying as Kat led him away. "Blocked alveolus, blackened trachea, various diseases – just from sucking one rolled up tobacco a little too often."

            Kat would've laughed and told him to shut up if he hadn't sounded so miffed. "I know, Jin," she assured, hoping he'd end the lecture then and there. "I know."

            "Then why do you do it?"

            "Why?" She'd never really thought about that. "I don't know. I just do." That didn't seem to satisfy him. "I suppose it's the fun of it all. You know, sitting down and smoking and bonding with friends. It makes you look sophisticated somehow. Besides, you kind of like get this tingling feeling when you inhale the smoke. It's nice."

            He didn't find that logical. "There are nicer and better ways to bond. And you don't look any more mature then you are just because you smoke. You look stupid, actually."

            Kat sighed. "Okay, so you've made it clear that you don't like smoking."

            "I don't like smokers all that much either."

            That, for some reason, made her stop and whirl on him. A cutting remark was about to fly out of her mouth when she controlled herself. "Fine. I don't really care who you like or don't like." That remark didn't stay very long. "What's wrong with smokers??"

            "They're endangering themselves, that's what's wrong with them. They're actually spending money to slowly and torturously kill themselves. And all for what? What do they get in return?"

            "Fun."

            "A whole lot of fun it is to end up in the hospital with a ballooned up heart and disappearing throat."

            Kat glared at him. "For your information," she said heatedly. "I consider smoking one of life's ultimate experience – other than birth, sex and death."

            He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and turned away, shaking his head.

            "Why are you so mad anyway?" she demanded. "Fine, so I'm going to end up in hospital with a ballooned up heart and disappearing throat. What's that to you? It's my problem, isn't it? Not yours."

            "Of course it's my problem," he replied, surprised, looking back at her. "I care about you. You're my .. friend. You think I like seeing people I care about laid up and wasting in the hospital bed? You think I enjoy seeing people that matter to me destroy themselves just because they don't know how to appreciate their existence?"

            Kat's head blanked at that retort.

            They glared silently at each other (that is, she glared and he stared).

            Kat rubbed her eyes wearily. "You –" she attempted. "Don't just –" She stopped with an impatient hiss, surprised at her lack of vocabulary. She gave up. "I don't know how you can be this annoying and still touch me to utter speechlessness."

            "I'm not being annoying," he insisted. "I'm telling you what I think and what I believe in. And I really –"

            She held up a hand. "Never mind. Let's just agree that we have our differences and set them aside."

            He looked doubtful, but reluctantly nodded. 

            "And now that we're friends again, let's go on that roller coaster."

            He looked up at the whizzing ride above their heads. "All right," he agreed with a tiny sigh. "I think I need some wind in my face to calm down." He flexed his hands. "I'm awfully tense, for some reason."

            "I noticed," she muttered. "You're always full of tension when you're with me." She looked at him. "Is it because we don't get along?"

            "We do get along," he corrected. "It's just that we often disagree. I don't like confrontations."        

            "Funny," she grinned. "I do."

            They joined the queue for the roller coaster ride. Then, hesitantly –

            "Exactly what sort of diseases do you get from smoking, Jin?"

*Jin looks at nothingtodo* *nothingtodo quickly checks back on encyclopaedia of health* Diseases? From smoking? Erm… well, … err… *furiously flips pages* Double uterus!! *frowns* huh? *gets kicked out of imaginary medical school*


	6. Birthday

Am researching for Isaac Newton's bio while uploading this. ^_^

Lambie: Thanks!

Tensaispira: Next chap up! Sleep well!

Super rookie: Thank you v. much! V. nice thing to say!

Alexia: Yeah, me thought racism was like, ten thousand years ago, but my naïve eyes were opened a few days ago. Childish prejudices and thinking, if you ask me. About Fujima – heh heh, sorry, misunderstood you. 

Tiran: You mean Americans have no life and take drugs? Americans specifically? Just Americas? ^_^ Ha ha! Yep, me agree Mitsui's scar kicks ass.

Krappkarmin: Relax, Eminem's a great curse teacher. I might start taking lessons from him too! 

Crazy4u: *whacks Jin's head* Leave her alone. She hasn't even graduated from school yet and you're already asking biological stuff. *crazy4u quickly tiptoes away*

Unquestionable: Noble name there. ^_^ Wait no longer!

Fiery-ice: Next chapter up! 

Rapt142: Me like Homer simpson! Wahahaha! But Bart's cooler. 

Kka: Sorry if the corruption isn't up to your standard ^_^!! Bear with me – I can't write lemon without laughing myself to death, so I simply won't try.

Jeano: School's OK. But v. hectic, tho. *pulls sullen face* Never mind. Let's talk about something nicer. YOUR SCHOOL. ^_^

Unchained: Thank you! Me was afraid Jin was getting a little OOC.

Patty g: Heh heh, hey, me no expert doctor (even tho my mom is) *checks the encyclopaedia again* Oops. Wrong book. This is about twin babies

White Meteor: This is another long chapter, I'll have you know! Sorry, inspiration struck and I typed away. But me will do shorter chaps – that's practically a guarantee. Yeah, but not many take the repulsive pic at the front seriously.

Frozenfemale:Thank you!

"Guess what day it is today," Kat urged excitedly, dropping herself in the seat in front of Jin's desk and making him look up in surprise at the sudden approach. "Go on. Guess."

He looked at the calendar stuck at the front of the classroom. "Wednesday, 27th August."

Kat narrowed her eyes disdainfully. "Obviously. What else?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. Christ's death? The fall of the Turkish Empire? The start of a war? The assassination of American presidents?"

Kat looked mightily dumbfounded. "Well," she mused. "I wouldn't know. But that's not it. What else?"

He racked his brains. "The launch of a satellite? The birth of a clone? Armageddon?"

She hissed, frowning at him. "Can you be a bit more emotional and sensitive instead of a talking info-box?" she asked testily. "Today has nothing to do with History or Science. It's a hell lot more important and special."

"NBA finals?"

No one else could have copied the chillingly murderous look she sent him. "Jin."

He decided to be extra careful. "Yes, Kat?"

"What is the most significant and meaningful day in a person's life?"

He quickly prayed he'd get the answer right. Kat's hand were starting to twitch and calling out for bloodbath. "Um, retirement day?"

She lost her cool. "NO!" she bellowed angrily, fisting her hands and flashing her teeth in a feral-like way. In Jin's eyes, she seemed to be suddenly hundred feet tall. "No, no, no! Birthday, you idiot! Birthday!"

He blinked. "Today's your birthday?"

She was taking in deep breaths to cool herself. "Yes," she said calmly now. Then, her eyebrows knitted. "Sort of."

He was already about to pour out the 'Happy Birthday' wish from his mouth when the last remark stopped him. "What do you mean, sort of? You're not sure?"

She shrugged, settling back comfortably in the seat. "We forgot. My family and I. So I simply pick a day every year as my birthday."

He looked shocked. "Forgot?? How can you forget your birthday??"

"Our ancestors didn't have good memories. They passed the trait down to us." She shrugged again. "It's no big deal. It's a lot more fun for me this way. Last year, my birthday was in May."

He couldn't grasp the idea of choosing a supposed birthday date at will. "Um…" he frowned slightly. "Well … if you're okay with it…" He decided to let it go. Kat was complicated enough as she is. He flashed a smile (which just happened to be Kat's favourite). "Happy birthday."

Her eyes brightened dreamily, her smile turning slightly kittenish. She all but purred with supreme satisfaction. "Finally." She cocked her head. "And my presents are?"

He looked flustered. "I didn't prepare any," he confessed. "I didn't know today was – I mean, I didn't know you were going to choose today as your birthday. So -"

"It doesn't have to be an object," she told him plainly. "I told you I wanted your time, patience and company before, didn't I?" She leaned forward. "You know what'll make a nice birthday present?"

He shook his head. "No."

"That you go out and celebrate with me and my friends tonight."

He managed to not wince. He wasn't so sure about the 'my friends' part. God knows what they'll be up to tonight. But then it was her birthday… it'd be sort of rude to decline … and he didn't want to spoil the occasion for her … she does deserve to feel special on her birthday … "I …guess it's all right."

She smiled smugly and patted his hand in a I-knew-I-could-count-on-you gesture. Then, her eyes turned wicked. "You know what else's gonna make the present perfect?"

"That I make it my treat?"

She laughed. "There's that," she agreed, "But this one's even better."

"Oh?"

She looked at him sweetly. "I'll show you."

He got the idea immediately when she took a firm hold of his face and pulled it to hers.

"You're forever necking him," Yuma commented as they pulled up in front of Jin's house that night. "I hardly ever see you not touching him."

Kat ignored the full-blown exaggeration. "He tastes good," she scanned the area. "It's not my fault."

"That's what you always say," Yuma muttered, even as Miyoshi honked. 

"Because that's what it is." Kat stretched her head out of the window. "There he is." She started to wave furiously as Jin emerged from inside the house. "OVER HERE!"

"It's starting to get silly, you know," Yuma continued with a sigh at her friend's attempt on waking the entire neighbourhood up. "I mean, you keep on insisting that you're just friends. Not even a half-wit would believe that."

"I don't really care what half-wits believe in, thanks."

"Leave it, Yuma," Miyoshi mumbled in amusement as he brought the engine to life. "She's never going to admit something more is going on. Yo, Jin! Let's bring the house down tonight, eh?"

Jin's first thought-up reply was: _Which house?_ But he quickly nodded and murmured: "Um, yeah. Bring the house down." He blushed slightly when Kat pecked him affectionately on the cheek.

Miyoshi and Yuma merely glanced at each other.

"Where are we going?" Jin asked once he was settled at the backseat.

"It's not a dark alley or thieves' secret headquarters," Kat winked. "In fact, you might even find it … luxurious and civilised." She laughed at the baffled look on his face. "It's a hotel. Great food."

Jin quietly counted the money he had with him in his mind.

"Yuma's planned it all," she assured him, reading his thoughts easily. "You don't have to worry."

He smiled, but stubbornly continued counting. 

Kat leaned back in her satiny chair and burped. Yuma and Miyoshi shook their heads. "Nope," they told her. "Not quite loud enough. You still have to practice."

Kat frowned. "I'm sure everybody in the room heard that."

"Hah!" Miyoshi scoffed, leaning back too. "Watch me." And then he released a grotesque sound (like a buffalo ridding itself of digested food) so loud that even the singer on stage stopped singing. Everybody stared at their table as Miyoshi proudly patted his stomach. "Now _that's_ loud."

Yuma congratulated him while Kat sulked.

Jin busied himself with his food, feeling really out of place. _Please don't make them make me do what they did_, he prayed. _Please don't make them make me _–

"Burp!" Miyoshi called out to him. "Burp, Jin, burp! Your turn!"

He smiled weakly. "Um, no, I don't think so." 

"Don't be shy," Yuma persuaded, taking hold of her chopsticks. "The winner will get this extra sashimi." She pointed. "Come on!"

"No," Jin insisted, panicky. "I'm too full. I can't –"

"Come on, Jin. It's honorary to burp. You get to unleash the pressure in your stomach, and all sorts of other things."

"Yeah, like stench and disgusting air." Miyoshi added.

"No, really. I really can't. I – GRRUUUUUUUP!"

This time, even the pianist paused. Jin turned bright red as Yuma, Miyoshi and Kat stared at him with blank faces. "I didn't mean to!" he apologised furiously, aware that all disgusted eyes were on him. "It just came out! I didn't –"

Miyoshi had stood up and was bowing to him.

Even Yuma and Kat had reverential looks on their faces. "We've found him," Kat muttered breathlessly. "The ultimate King of Burps." And she too started to bow her head with profound respect.

"Kat, please –"

"The sashimi," Yuma murmured as she pushed the plate of the extra sashimi to him, "is all yours, Souichirou Jin. It is the luckiest of all sashimi to be eaten by a Burp royalty like you."

"Yuma –"

"I surrender," Miyoshi interrupted. "Never have I seen such astounding form of burping. All hail the King of Burps."

Jin dropped his red face to the table.

He was still blushing by the time they walked out of the hotel buffet area (the other guests not even bothering to conceal their sighs of relief). Kat complimented him endlessly on what should've been an undoubtedly embarrassing moment, with Yuma and Miyoshi bowing every time he looked at them. 

"6-0-3," Yuma slipped the key into Kat's hand, interrupting their small talk. 

Kat blinked and then looked at Yuma, who winked. "Thanks." That was said with a grin.

Jin scratched his head. "Where are we going?" When Yuma and Miyoshi bowed at him one more time and walked off for the lift without a word, he raised an eyebrow. "Where are _they_ going?"

"Who knows?" Kat shrugged, idly fooling around with the key in her hand. "Probably the same type of place we'll be going to. I suppose it's Yuma's idea of an ideal birthday gift." She took his arm. "Come on. Let's go."

"Go where?"

She caught the slight panic in his tone and was amused by it. "Wait and see." She towed him to the lift where Miyoshi and Yuma had just disappeared into and pressed a button. Another lift opened up. "Sixth floor."

"What's there on the sixth floor?"

"Dungeons," she replied seriously. "Torture chambers." Then, she sighed. "Relax, Jin. For once, try to enjoy unplanned surprises."

"I don't like being caught with my pants down."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Relatively speaking, that is," he quickly assured. "I meant I don't like being caught off-guard."

"I know what it means," she muttered with a cynical smile. "I know it seems fictional, but I do use my head sometimes." She laughed when he mumbled an apology. "On the sixth floor, there are mostly small spaces that tourists call 'hotel room'. Usually, there's a bed, a cupboard, a TV, a table, toilet and some lamps. It's pretty useful for temporary stays."

Jin smiled. "Ouch." Then he frowned. "What do you want to do in a hotel room? Shouldn't we be going back now?"

"It's only nine. We could rest for a little while," she shrugged. "And then I'll think of something."

They reached the sixth floor and went out. Jin trailed silently behind Kat as she searched for 6-0-3. It took several turns and twists around corridors. "Here," she announced then. "Man, this place is like a maze." 

She unlocked the door and stepped into the semi-luxurious room. "Not bad."

He stepped in with an aloof look. "I suppose so. Will Miyoshi and Yuma join us sometime later?"

_I certainly hope not_. But she turned with an easy look. "Perhaps. Why? Are you scared of being alone with me?"

He looked at her. "No. Why would I?"

"You used to," she reminded him.

"I wasn't scared." He denied with aplomb. "I was just slightly… nervous."

"Are you nervous now?"

"No. I know you well enough to be comfortable now."

She shrugged. "Oh. Okay. So –" she stopped when he peeked into the bathroom. "What? You need to use the loo?"

He looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. The food's not settling very well in my stomach." He stepped inside the tiled room.

"You could always burp." She caught a brief glimpse of his red face before he closed the door shut, and laughed out loud. Then she sat alone in the middle of the bed, arranging strategies and patiently waiting for him to come out. Things should get pretty interesting once he did.

Jin released a relieved sigh, rubbing his stomach as he flushed the remains of his 'business' down the toilet bowl. He could stand all kinds of pain – headache, neck-ache, leg-ache, even broken bones – but stomachache was something else. The mentioned pains could be massaged out or fixed, but stomachache could only be suffered through. It usually made him want to bury his head in the ground and die. 

But now the crisis was over, and he decided he wanted to live after all.

"Finally," Kat muttered as he emerged. "I thought you were planning on sleeping in there." She was comfortably sprawled on the bed with the television on and very loud. But now she pulled herself up and shut the machinery. 

Jin smiled foolishly. "I had a little trouble with my digestive organs."

"Spare me the details," she begged. "It was bad enough listening to you struggle." 

He turned bright red. "That loud? Sorry."

She grinned. "No, just joking. Come, sit here with me."

He couldn't find any harm in doing that and sat. "What's on television?"

She edged over to him, arms snaking tightly around his neck. "It's off now, so it doesn't really matter, does it?" She started to lightly kiss his face.

He didn't stop her, kissed her back when their lips brushed. "Do you want to know what we learned in History today?" he asked when he got the chance to.

She frowned, unsure whether to slap him or throw him out the window. "Did it ever occur to you that people don't discuss History on their birthdays?"

He grinned at the testy tone. "It's my job. You appointed me as your homework secretary, remember?"

"Well, today's your day-off." She muttered. "Just be quiet and pay attention to me, okay? One more mention of History, or any word that brings up an image of the word 'History' and I'll sock you with my shoe." 

He started to laugh, but the sound paused at his throat when she started to unbutton his shirt. "What are you doing?" His hands automatically rushed up to stop her busy ones, his cheeks already flushed.

If he had been a girl, Kat and her friends might have been able to label him 'Virgin Mary'. However, she didn't know any nicknames for the male population. 'Virgin Jake'? "What do you think I'm doing?" she questioned back, testing. "What do you think a girl and a boy do when they're alone?"

He didn't reply, quietly re-buttoning his shirt and covering up the exposed flesh. "Kat –"

She watched him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't be shy," she murmured. "You have nice skin, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Or maybe you'd like some company?"

His eyes widened slightly as her hands started to lift the hem of her shirt, and with a strangled sound, he stopped her. "Listen, Kat –"

She looked half-annoyed and half-amused, but didn't say any smart comments. "Yes?"

"I – I don't do this." He willed himself not to stutter like an idiot, even if it was the first time someone had attempted to strip in front of him. "This is… not right. It's –"

"Wrong? Immoral? Decadent?"

" – dangerous," he finished uncomfortably. His eyes were almost helpless when he looked at her. "You shouldn't… give yourself to people just like that. It's – it's – I don't know what it is, but your virginity is something valuable. You have to be sure whoever takes it is worthy of it." 

Kat simply stared at him as he complicated the issue. "What if I say I think you're worthy of it?"

He turned even red. Twitchy. Nervous. "You don't think I'm befriending you because of this, did you?" His eyes suddenly turned insulted. "Did you think I wanted to use you –"

"No," she quickly assured. "No, absolutely not." Her eyebrows were connected together as she tried to comprehend the situation and deal with it. "I'm not … 'giving myself' to you because I think you want it or anything. It's just …" she trailed off. "Actually, I don't even know what I'm doing. It's just the natural thing to do nowadays, if you like someone. Everybody does it."

"I'm –"

"Not everybody," she finished. Then she helped him finish re-buttoning. "I don't know what I was thinking." Then she drew off to once corner, wrapped her arms around her legs and stared at the empty air. The atmosphere around them grew awkward. 

Jin moved slowly to the other corner, head still reeling. He took a deep breath, wondering if he'd insulted her. "Kat?"

"Hmm?" Her tone wasn't angry. Just thoughtful and occupied.

"I didn't mean to say anything wrong. I'm sorry if I insulted you or made you angry. These things don't happen to me every day, so I might have handled it wrongly. I -"

"No, you didn't insult me." She replied. "I should've been insulted, but I'm not, for some reason. I'm just thinking back on the things I do, and why I do them." She sighed. "It just occurred to me that I have no reason for doing the things I do. I just do them because… because everybody else does it." She rubbed an eye. "Made me think if it's because I'm too stupid to do something else or too insecure to have any stand."

He didn't really understand what she was trying to get out.

Then she looked at him. "Why do you study, Jin?"

He looked slightly surprised at the change of topics. "Because I want to excel in my studies. Make my parents proud. Because I don't want to waste the years I spend in school."

She nodded. "Why do you play basketball?"

"Because I want to. Because I love basketball, and because I like playing it."

She nodded again. "Now ask me why I smoke."

He gave a startled sound. And then, uncertainly, "Um, why do you smoke?"

"Because people tell me to. Because everybody else does it. Because they say it's cool." She muttered. "Ask me why I take drugs."

"You take drugs??" That was said with shock. "Why??"

"Because people tell me to. Because everybody else does it. Because they say it's cool." She ignored his splutters of disbelief, refused to acknowledge the fact that his opinion of her had just plunged down. "Ask me why I'm fooling around with you."

He stared at her. And then slowly, "Why are you fooling around with me?"

"Because I want you to be like me. Because I think I'm cool and I think I have to prove it. Because it lessens my insecurities when someone else behaves like me, so that at least if I go wrong, then I have someone to drag with me."

Jin merely blinked at the frank reply, and stared wordlessly at the floor as Kat struggled to come to terms with what was whirling in her head. "You see?" she asked. "You analyse all my reasons for doing the things I do, and it all comes down to one thing – I have no identity."

"You do have an identity," Jin disagreed. "It's just that you try so hard to fit in and end up being something else."

She didn't say anything for a long while.

The minutes ticked.

Then – "Well," Kat said brightly, as if she'd just woken up from a nice dream. "Tonight has been my counselling session regarding my insecurities. I'm all refreshed now. Go figure."

"I guess making fun of it doesn't make it so serious anymore." Jin commented quietly, causing the fake smile on Kat's face to disappear. 

She stood up, went round the bed and stood in front of him. "Forget what happened here," she murmured. "I apologise for my – shall we say, lurid behaviour. What I told you, I told in confidence, in vulnerability. I'd appreciate it if you don't go around telling everybody else that I'm facing a personal crisis."

"I don't kiss-and-tell."

"And I believe you." A small smile played on her lips. "You amaze me, you know that? You're never quite what I expect you to be, and it's surprisingly pleasant." Her tone took a sombre note. "I understand if you hate me now, or dislike me for my sheer pathetic-ness. I wouldn't put it against you if you don't want to have anything to do with me again."

"The past is the past. It doesn't matter anymore once it's already happened."

She smiled gratefully. "Never quite what I expect you to be," she repeated. "Let's go home now."

"Kat," the quiet tone in his voice was enough to make her stop abruptly in her tracks. She turned around almost dreadfully. His amber eyes looked into hers. "Have you ever … slept with anyone before this?"

She stared at him, shocked. 

He looked flustered. "I'm sorry. It was a rude and personal question. I don't know what I was trying to do."

Kat bit her lip. "I have." 

His gaze quickly went down to the floor, his fists clenching as his stomach started to fuss again, only this time it wasn't because of food. "Oh. I – I see."

She wanted to let it go there, end the embarrassment then and there, ignore the thud of regret and go home, but something else made her go forward and kneel down in front of him so they were eye-to-eye. "Does that change anything that you feel for me?"

He tried to find a suitable answer, a good enough answer to express what he wanted to say. "It doesn't," he said truthfully. "And it shouldn't. But I admit that the thought of you in someone else's arms makes me want to kick something."

Kat didn't say anything, though her amused smile probably conveyed enough meaning. She simply climbed into his lap and kissed him long and hard, trying to make him see just how much he'd come to matter to her. "Jin," she said quietly. "We _are_ more than just friends, aren't we?"

"I suppose so."

She grunted in satisfaction. "I've always thought so."


	7. Dinner 2

Another short chappie. Will beg for understanding and toleration later. 

Gkslvr: I think I understand. ^_^

Jeano: Arigato! Thanks about your school info. I'm sure I can find it. Are you from Malaysia or neighbouring countries? 

White Meteor: Is the end near? Do YOU want it to be near?

Alexia: You're in Sweden? Are you Swedish? 

White soul: More complications, I can assure you. 

December Morning Owl: Good luck in ur exams! Me am facing mine soon too.

Unchained: Since when was it YOUR poor JIN?????? *glares*^_^

Fiery-ice: Hard to cultivate? Nah! My brain am simple! Very simple.

Krappkarmin: Nah, school won't stop me… methinks!

Tsongmandude: Thank you! Those were very nice things you said. ^_^

Unquestionable: You're not a hentai? And I'm supposed to believe that??

Kka: Am glad it did!

Tensaispira: Nope. Eng sciene and tech's only for Form 4 in my school, so I escaped. He he he!

Tiran: Nah, me am not Americans so me am not offended or anything. You're in Canada? I thought you were Asian!

Sll: There won't be much long chappies, sorry. *sigh* But am glad you enjoyed it and turned into 5 different types of reader. ^_^

Crazy4u: Ha ha ha! What an ustaz you have!! No, they didn't do 'six'. ^_^

Frozenfemale: Maybe. Who knows?

Patty g: Thank you!

            "Talked?" Yuma screeched in alarm. They had just dropped Jin off at his house and Yuma had taken the chance for spill-the-beans session. "TALKED?"

            Kat nodded agreeably. "Yeah. It's when you open your mouth and exchange words. Some people call it conversation, though."

            Miyoshi laughed, completely ignoring the red light. The road was empty anyway. 

            Yuma looked enraged. "You mean I wasted on a twelve-thousand-yen-per-night room just so you both could TALK?? Just so you could EXCHANGE CONVERSATIONS??"

            Kat calmed her friend who looked as though she was about to leap out of the speeding car in frustration. "It's not like I didn't try," she explained. "But things just didn't get there. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. It was a rather exciting sort of birthday gift that you had in mind there."

            Yuma crossed her arms across her chest, muttering. "Talk," she spat. "How boring."

            "No, actually, it was quite… a funny experience. I frightened the Hell out of him." Kat grinned. "And then he just said no. That he didn't do that kind of thing."

             "An experience, all right," Miyoshi snorted in amusement. "When was the last time someone refused to sleep with you?"

            "Five-years-old. And the offender was my first stepfather, who thought it was time I become independent and sleep in my own bed."

            "Seriously, Kat. Please."

            "I haven't slept with that many yet," Kat shrugged "But all jumped at the chance. You know how guys are. One little suggestive move, and they're already zipping their trousers off."

            "Hey!" Miyoshi protested. "You take that back!"

            "It must've been humiliating," Yuma concluded with a smirk. "Positively embarrassing."

            Kat looked out the window. "It was supposed to be that way," she murmured, "But it wasn't. I admit I was a bit disappointed. I'd gotten a glimpse of his chest –"

            "Oh?"

            " – before he buttoned his shirt up again."

            "Tsk tsk."

            "So anyway, I briefly thought about just tearing his shirt up and getting on with it –"

            Miyoshi almost did an emergency brake. "You wanted to RAPE him??"

            Kat didn't even blink, though her lips twitched in suppressed laughter. "I was tempted to."

            Miyoshi turned blue. "What a scary person you are."

            "Anyway, then somehow he just started to talk and I listened, and then I realised that I didn't want him to sleep with me after all."

            Yuma raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you're no longer interested in him?"

            Kat scoffed. "After seeing his chest? You've got to be kidding." 

            "Then?"

            "I don't know. It just seemed as if I'm taking our relationship for granted. Cheapening it by making it seem we're only after the physical pleasure. Making it shallowly unimportant."

            Miyoshi scratched his head. "Now you're talking like a nun."

            Kat's nostrils flared. "A NUN???!" She leaned forward and whacked his head with one mighty sweep of the hand. "Really!" She whacked him one more time, and was about to go for another when Yuma's quiet question made her pause.

            "You're serious about him, aren't you?"

            Kat thought about it, shrugged and then grinned. "Get real, Yuma," she muttered. "Since when was I serious about anything?" And then she continued bullying Miyoshi. 

Yuma watched for a moment ("Stop it, Kat! I'm driving, damn it!") ("Then DRIVE and SHUT YOUR MOUTH!") and then turned to stare out the window. _Still lying_, she sighed silently. _Still denying. Like I'm super stupid or something._

"This is a rather ironic reversal of roles," Kat muttered sardonically as she was towed out of the school by Jin right after the end-of-school bell rang. "I thought it was my job to arrange our outings."

            "It's my turn now. If I can spend time with your friends, then you can spend time with my family as well." He unlocked his bike, chuckling at Kat's 'God-save-me' speech. He gave her a pat on the shoulder; identical to the one she always gave him when he got nervous. "You'll be fine."

            "Easy for you to say," she retorted, getting on the bike. "I've never exactly gone and met my boyfriends' parents before."

            "And exactly how many were there?"

            She grinned and patted him. "Suddenly my memory fails me."

            "I'm sure you said that only to make me jealous."

            "Are you?"

            "No." he answered. Then – "Well, a bit." Then – "Yes."

            She laughed. "You're the only one now."

            He rolled his eyes as they cycled away. "Wow, I'm so relieved. I thought you had two more hiding in your closet."

            "You're the only one," she repeated whimsically, apparently missing his retort. "The only one that matters."

            "Exactly how many holes do you have on your ears, Kat?" Jin's little sister, Saira asked curiously as they sat having dinner together. 

            Kat thought about it. "Five, on each ear."

            Saira nodded, fascinated. "And other places?"

            "I have two over my belly. And another three on my arm," she lifted her sleeve up. "Right here."

            "Very pretty," Saira murmured. "I've never been one for this piercing thing, but yours are rather strategically placed. I'm glad you didn't put one on your face. It'll be shame if you did."

            "I was thinking about getting one on my nose," Kat informed, unabashedly reaching for her third baked potato. Jin voluntarily passed her the mayonnaise. "You know, like Indians do. It's very attractive."

            Saira visualised it. "Yes, I think so too." She grinned. "Show me when you get it done!"

            "Hundred yen per view."

            She pouted and Kat laughed. Then Saira joined in too. She always did whenever Kat laughed, obviously trying to copy the crazy but alluring sound.

            Jin's mother emerged with a new plate of cooked fish, smiling at the laughing girls. "Hope you like the food, Kat dear," she said as she re-filled her husband's bowl.

            "That I do," Kat assured her, waiting impatiently for her turn to grab the fish. "I usually eat dinner outside, so home-cooked food is heaven to my depraved stomach." She grinned broadly when she received double portions of fish compared to Jin. Jin only smiled wryly. 

            "Is that so?" Jin's father joined the conversation then, putting away the day's newspaper. "What does your father work as, Kat?"

            "Which one?"

            Mr. Jin and Mrs. Jin stared at her. "There's more than one?"

            Kat counted. "I have three. One real father and two stepfathers. My real father is a contractor. My first stepfather is a doctor, and my second stepfather is a fireman."

            Mr. Jin and Mrs. Jin looked at each other. "Oh."

            "What about your mother?" Mrs. Jin asked then, scooping rice into her mouth. 

            "Which one?"

            The rice flew out as Mrs. Jin choked in surprise. Everybody else at the table sweat-dropped, even Jin. "There – there's more than ONE??"

            "Two. I'm a test tube baby," Kat explained, seeing their blue expressions of shock. "So I have the mother who gave her ovum, and another mother who nurtured me in her belly. When I was born, they couldn't decide who deserves me more, the one who gave the ovum or the one who suffered through nine months, so they compromised and decided to take care of me together."

            They looked blankly at each other. 

            Kat decided they still didn't get it. "It's like this. My mom's uterus isn't very –"

"Well," Mr. Jin said suddenly, clearing his throat. "Let's just um, enjoy the food."

            Saira nudged Jin. "When you said she was complicated," she muttered to her brother, "you didn't mention _how _complicated." 

            Kat flashed a huge smile.

            Saira looked curiously at Kat. "What's a test tube baby?"

            "Well, you see, it's when a woman's egg doesn't work nicely –"

            "Where does the egg come from?"

            "Um, well, when a man and woman do it, you know, like when your mom and dad had you, they were –"

            "Let's just," Mr. Jin said again, for the second time, clearing his throat and ignoring his red cheeks, "enjoy the food."

Actually, it was slightly longer, but I had to edit it because I had no time to complete it. *am not sure of which expression to pull* erm… bye!


	8. second thoughts

Updated! 

Patty g: You want to see Jin's chest? Queue up please. Judging by the number of people already waiting for the chance, you'll probably get to see it in the next millennium. ^_^

Lambie: Hopefully, this chap makes up to the short one! I'm good? Ha ha ha! You sure? Ke ke ke! Thanks!

Tensaispira: I LOVE fish! *waves one particular dead one at tensaispira* Come here, come here!

Crazy4u: Yep, there's a test tube baby – you'll learn it in Form 3, in one of the most popular chapters – PEMBIAKAN. Ha ha ha! 

Unquestionable: Your statement of not being a hentai remains… questionable. He he! Glad you liked it! My parents would have ducked under the table at that sort of talk! Ha ha!

Stefified: Finish the story? So soon?

Krappkarmin: I'd sing along, only I don't know the words. Sorry!

Unchained: I've updated again! Longer chap!

White soul: Next chap is here! Does it get more complicated? Read and judge. And then you tell me. ^_^

Alexia: Have fun in Chemistry! *Alexia glares* aheheh. How old is Saira? Haven't thought about it yet. Probably eleven or so.

White Meteor: She was serious. ^_^ He he.

Tiran: I mentioned Indians? Where? Hey! Me Asian too! (what do you mean 'not THAT type of Asian'?). Come visit Malaysia! That's where I live! (getting crippled is a dream?) (I understand the Akira part though! Ha ha!)

Fiery-ice: Hope you're not burn out yet with your busy schedule! He he! My teacher says: Eat Spirulina. Dunno what it is. I probably spelled it wrong too!

Frozenfemale: Thank you! Mr. and Mrs. Jin's approval? Ha ha! They're not getting married yet!

Jeano: My school _was_ an all-girl school too, only this year they started taking in boys. *pouts* But we're no nuns, now, are we? ^_^

Nikka: Updated!

Shiro-chan: Thank you! I'm glad you don't think Kat's a Mary-Sue. And yes! Please correct my grammar mistakes if you don't mind! I'm here to learn! Yeah! Am from Malaysia. KL. 

Kka: Let's see if you'll be happy at the end of this fic too.

sLL: Nah, in your last review, you said you turned into all sorts of reader (check it if you want). So I counted (had nothing better to do) and all in all, you changed into five different types of reader. ^_^ 

fer-chan: TRY AGAIN! I'm sure you can win medals. DO IT, FER-CHAN! DO IT!! (I hate shot put too) (and long jump) And IT'S NOT EASY. I'd kill whoever it was who said it was easy. ^_^ 

            "Wow." Kat muttered, slumping her head over her elbows on the table. "Have I said that?"

            Jin nodded, snapping his calculator shut. "Yes. Three times."

            "Make that four. Wow." She leaned back, stared at the scribbles on her notebook. "I can't believe this happened. The last time I finished my homework was in… well, sometime ago. Primary school or something." She hissed at Jin's reproachful look. "All right, all right, kindergarten."

            "It doesn't take much to get it done."

            Kat nodded. "True, true. It was like, what? Fifteen minutes?"

            Jin snorted in amusement. "Um, no, it was one hour and a half."

            Kat stared at him and then at the clock on the wall. "Really? But we were just talking! It didn't seem that long…" she looked at the clock again. "Oh well, here I am, thinking I'm a genius for finishing it in a quarter of an hour."

            "You're very clever," Jin assured her. "You barely needed my help."

            "Of course," she grumbled back with an accusing look. "I'm not stupid. I just didn't bother about homework before. Can't really blame me since it's all boring stuff." She started to relax when Jin reached under the table and brought out a History textbook. "Damn you, Jin."

            He laughed. "History," he started, "is the essence of our lives. Without history, we'd never appreciate the beginnings of our empire, country and government. It's very essential for us to learn and study it."

            "What? So I can 'appreciate' big fat men with long beards who talked the nation to death about war and victory? They're dead, aren't they? Why do we have to know about them?"

            "Because they matter."

            "And because they have nothing else to do but matter." Kat ignored the page Jin was flashing in her face, determined to continue the debate. "For all we know, they probably spend a quarter of their time making people believe about independence and anti-west, and the other three quarters sleeping in their bedchambers with platoons of prostitutes." Jin was placidly pointing to a readily highlighted text. "I mean, why can't we learn something … REAL and USEFUL?"

            Jin lowered the book with a sigh. "All ried the book with a sigh. "All rihat would you really like to learn in school?"

            Kat shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she muttered. "Something like … life, or what to do with ourselves instead of what others have done with themselves in like, the nineteenth B.C. or something like that. Why can't we learn about ways to make money? Why don't they tell us about making friends? About surviving in a highly corrupted world? About winning the rat race?"

            "Kat, life is not a textbook. It's different for each of us. There is no way the education people can text and categorise life into different chapters." He patted her hand. "The only way to learn about life, or how to make money and friends or how to survive, is by living life day by day and taking what comes and deciding and seeing for yourself what you want to do, say and be."

            Kat's lips thinned at the can't-argue-with-me-now reply. "Philosophically."

            "Yes, philosophically. Now are you going to continue protesting against education, or are we going to get started?"

            Kat groaned with a dramatic sweep of the hand. "Get started," she decided wearily. "Might as well get it over with and die early."

            He didn't crack a smile. "That won't be the only cause."

            She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

            He tugged the edges of the book absently. Then, quite unexpectedly, his hand reached out and he touched her lips with one finger. "You've been smoking again," he muttered tonelessly. "Probably when you excused yourself to the bathroom half-an-hour ago, am I right?"

            She felt degraded, for some reason. "Yeah, well, I didn't say I was going to stop," she said defensively, and a bit uncomfortably. "And you didn't expect me to say to your parents, 'excuse me, but I need to smoke a pot of tobacco for a minute. Go on and enjoy the pork!'."

            He nodded. "Yeah. I know."

            She shifted restlessly. "And it's not like I can just stop like that. You can't just change overnight, you know. Not that I want to change. I mean, you didn't think that just because you were able to list out approximately nine diseases caused by smoking, I'd quit, did you?"

            He nodded calmly. "Nope."

            "So?" She didn't know why she sounded so snappish. "What's the problem?"

            "No, no problem." He propped the book on the table. "Let's see. What do you say if we do The Four Earliest Civilisations today?"

            "Okay," she sulked. "Okay."

            "Here's a stranger," Yuma muttered as Kat joined them for recess that day. "Don't tell me. Jin had to stay back in Chemistry class because his group didn't manage to get carbon monoxide out."

            Kat looked annoyed. "Yes, he's in Chemistry class. And no, he's actually trying to produce nitrogen dioxide. I don't see what that has to do with me. I'd have joined you even if he wasn't stuck in class."

            Miyoshi snorted out a laugh. "Oh, right."

            Kat glared. "Yes, right."

            "Give it up, Kat," Yuma begged, propping her legs up on the table. "You're obsessed with him. If you could have it your way, you'd hang on to his armpits for the rest of your life."

            "I am NOT obsessed with him. And I do NOT want to hang on to anybody's armpits."

            "Yeah. Just his."

            "I did NOT say that –"

            "All right, all right," Miyoshi broke in with an offering of peanuts. "Break it off already. Let's give her a warm welcome after so many days. Nice to have you back, Kat."

            She frowned. "I never left you guys."

            "Hmm."

            "Damn it, we're still friends."

            "Yep, of course. We're going bowling tonight. Fancy joining us?"

            Kat started to snort out her agreement, and then paused for a while. "Oh."

            Miyoshi and Yuma glanced at each other with a lift of the eyebrows. "Here we go."

            "I didn't say 'no'." Kat pointed out quickly. "I just said 'oh'."

            "Yeah," Yuma nodded understandingly, "which will then be followed by 'I have a date with Jin' or 'I'm supposed to go over to Jin's house' or 'I promised Jin I'll go watch his basketball match' or 'Jin and I are going cycling over the neighbourhood'. Which one is it now?"

            Kat winced. "Jin and I are going to go buy fish for his sister."

            Miyoshi thought about it. "Well, that's a new one."

            Kat waved her hands desperately; slightly alarmed at the amount of time she spent with Jin. "I'll go out with you the day after tomorrow, okay? I promise."

            "Can't," Yuma reminded her. "Jin's got a match against Shohoku, remember? You told me you were making banners for it just yesterday."

            "Oh. Well, next Wednesday then."

            "Can't do either. That's Jin's birthday, isn't it?"

            "Oh." Kat rubbed her temples. "Oh boy." She paused, eyebrows drawing together to form one line. "I'm sorry. I'd go with you if I could –"

            "Relax," Miyoshi assured, offering more peanuts to his stricken friend. "We don't mind. We're all open-minded people, aren't we? People change and break off every once in a while. No big deal."

            "But I haven't changed," Kat insisted defensively. "And I'm not breaking off from you."

            Yuma took a deep breath, wondering if she could just rap Kat smartly on the head. Maybe she wouldn't be so blind then. "Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes."

            The instant irritation snapped into her eyes. "I don't." Then – "Do I?"

            "But hey, it makes you happy, so no problem there." The bell rang shrilly over their heads. "I hate this sound. Anyway, see you later." Popping whatever left peanuts they had into their mouths, Yuma and Miyoshi disappeared into their other crowd of friends. 

Kat watched them go blankly. _Jin's dog?__ I'm not his dog. I'd hang myself if I was anyone's dog._ Bothered and unsettled, she pulled herself together and rushed to class.

            The automatic and instant smile broke over her face at the sight of Jin fumbling with a tiny net and attempting to catch a very haughty goldfish. Now that she thought about it, she almost always smiled at the sight of him. Why was that? Stepping into the shop, she saluted him. "Sorry I'm late."

            He grinned. "Just got here myself. I'm trying to get –" he paused when the fish wriggled expertly out of the net and hissed, "- this fish here. It's one of the healthiest –" he winced again when the fish escaped "-and the fastest."

            "Hmm."

            "Will you do me a favour and catch one of those colourful fishes in that tank over there?" He pointed. "Just one. That's for my cousin. He just got an aquarium."

            "All right." Before she even thought about it, Kat had a net in hand and was already sinking her arms inside the clear water. She stared at her hand through the glass for a moment before shaking her head. Relax. She was just helping him. "What colour? Pink or purplish?"

            "What do you think?"

            "Anything you say." Kat shrugged, then realising it sounded so dependant, added: "I'm not the one getting the fish."

            "Purplish."

            "Okay." Now why did she sound so agreeable?

            Jin finally captured the snotty scaly animal and triumphantly dragged it out and into another plastic bag of water. "Gotcha. Saira better take good care of it. I all but twisted my arm to get it." 

            "Watch the expert." With one swipe, Kat caught three fishes. She released the ones she didn't want and scooped one beautiful, purple fish into Jin's plastic bag. "There. Big, gorgeous and wonderful, in less than five seconds."

            "You didn't count the thirty seconds you took to aim."

            "Sore loser."

            They made their way to the counter. "You're still going for the game, aren't you?" he asked conversationally as money passed between him and the cashier. 

            "Which game?"

            "Kainan versus Shohoku."

            "Oh, that." _Duh._ _I'm dying to go. _She opened her mouth to answer when - _Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._ "I … I guess." 

            "I'm going with the rest of the team. But my mom could pick you up."

            "Okay." _Why not? _– _Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._ "She doesn't have to take the trouble." __

            "Nah. She wants to see the game herself. Oh, and after that Saira's plotting to persuade you to stay over. Judging from previous experiences, she's very good at persuading. You might want to pack extra clothes in advance."

            "Right." _Say yes. Say yes_ – _Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._ "I'll think about it."  

            "Sure." He received the change with a sweet smile for the cashier.

            She felt herself smiling too, stupidly.

            _Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._

_            Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._

_            Kat, you are practically Jin's dog. You jump when he tells you to, and you follow him wherever he goes._

"No," she said suddenly then. 

            Jin looked over his shoulder. "Pardon?"

            "No," Kat repeated slowly. "I'm – I'm not going for the game."

            He stared at her, befuddled. "Oh? You changed your mind? Why are you pale? Are you okay?"

            "No. I mean, yes, I'm okay. I said I'm not going to the game."

            "I got that the first time," he shifted to face her. "You have something else going on?"

            "Yes." She gestured with her hand. "My friends and I have something we want to do."

            He shrugged, calmly acknowledged the thud of disappointment inside. "Okay. Quick, let's cross the road!"

            "Yeah." _Proven: I am not his dog._ Satisfied, and yet hollowly disappointed and cheated – by whom? Him? Herself? Everybody? -  she moodily ran over the slippery street.  


	9. dilemma

Am back! *waits for the oh-I-missed-you-so-much-ntd-san and doesn't get it* oh well…

Alexia: Waaargh! Not another typo! It's supposed to be: "All right," Jin lowered the book with a sigh. "What would you really like to learn in school?" (am too lazy to correct it properly) he he… 

December Morning Owl: Um, I guess this chapter wasn't exactly put up as fast as you'd hoped. Gomen! True, I've got less stories to work on, but doesn't mean my other piles of work are deteriorating. Bear with me!

Krappkarmin: Ha ha ha! Great idea! ^_- Me don't think you a stupid plot-maker. ^_^ 

Iluvenis Telperien: Arigato! Maybe. ^_^

Akane: am continuing – at a snail's speed. Heh heh…

White Meteor: Yeah, Kat hasn't got a firm stand in anything, I tell you. Go easy on Yuma. You gotta see it from her point of view, ne? ^_^ Loved your analysis on Kat. VERY accurate! Thank you!

Tensaispira: *ntd advances threateningly with the smelly, dead, rotting fish in hand* Ahahahaha! Muahahaha! This is because you like History (I hate history!). 

Crazy4u: *sees crazy4u inhaling bad gas again* It wasn't me! ^_^ I dunno what permanian beradas in English is, sorry. Come to think of it, I dun even want to know. Wahahaha! The highest in school is also 11 A1, I think. Oi, '6' very interesting, you know *sees crazy4u barfing*

Kka: Woof woof! ^_^ 

Fiery-ice: Thank you! Enjoy this chap!

Unchained: Screaming for my blood? What for? It's not all that delicious. ^_^

Unquestionable: Waargh! Why is it that everybody in the world likes History except me? I haven't tried eating a goldfish yet *looks meaningfully at her brother's aquarium* Hmm…

Stefified: Update faster? Can't promise, but I'll try my best!

Chidero: You? Teman Jin? You layak or not? Got pass the test or not? ^_^

Akuma no kaidan: Thank you! Find out what happens next by scrolling down! He he he! Hey! You reviewed twice! I'm very happy my fic interests you. ^_^ (actually, am bursting with pride but struggling to control it) (ke ke ke!)

Lambie: If Jin wants me to help him get Kat back, he'll have to *lists down approximately twelve thousand number of favours* That should be reasonable. ^_^

Patty g: You won't mind being Jin's dog? Then I guess you'll have a chance to see his chest after all! Muahaha! You go, girl! Woof, woof!

Jeano: Yes, am very, very, very, very … busy at school these days. Almost dropped dead today, but didn't want to fall flat on my face in front of all the students. ^_^ Have a fun time remaining a nun until your school becomes a co-ed! Muahahaha!

sLL: By experiencing it myself! Ha ha! No-lah. I'm not the type to be lead around by the nose by friends. But I've seen people, and they talk to me. Me PRS, see. So got many experience with bullies and the bullied. ^_^

Mitchy: Arigato!

White soul: Yep, friends are the most important thing to us teens. FOLLOW YOUR HEART, white soul! Even if it tells you to jump over a cliff! Hahahaha!

"Woof, woof!" Yuma crooned humorously as Kat sat down next to her in class. "Nice doogie woogie. Did Jin feed you well?"

            Kat scowled. "Stop it, Yuma. It's not funny."

            "It's true, though."

            Kat ignored that. "There's this movie showing in the theatres. Want to go watch it?"

            "Jin didn't want to go?"

            "I didn't even ask him."

            "Ooh," Yuma smirked. "So glad to know I'm not the second choice anymore."

            Kat sighed, closed her eyes. "All right. Go on. Babble and curse me. I'll listen. Hopefully, by the time you run out of vocabulary, you won't be so mad and maybe even listen to reason."

            "I'm not mad," Yuma said placidly. "I'm just surprised you're not sucking up to Jin."

            Kat held back the colourful curse. "He's not here yet," she muttered tightly. And then, blowing a breath, she ran a frustrated hand over her hot head. "What is it about him that annoys you so?"

            "I'm not annoyed."

            "Then why do you sound like you are?"

            "Who can tell?" Yuma shrugged. She studied Kat with a quiet look.

            "What?"

            "Nothing. Just taking a trip down memory lane."

            "What's there to remember?"

            Yuma gave her a look that spoke volumes. "Let me quote you," she said then. "Once upon a time, you said 'I'll introduce him to the real joys of living, and he'll be thanking me on his knees before we're even done'. You probably don't recognize that. It was ages ago, wasn't it?"

            Kat shifted on her seat, an unreadable look on her face. "Yes, I did say that. About Jin."

            "Wow. You actually remember. Recall anything else? Like, your actual plans? What you really intended to do?"

            "I wanted to … corrupt him. Make him smoke. Make him take drugs. Make him part of us."

            "Very good." Yuma congratulated with a smile. "But he's not smoking. He's not taking drugs. And instead of an addition to our group, we're losing one." Yuma looked at her. "I never really expected you to succeed anyway. But neither did I guess you'd go all the way down."

            "You're mad because I failed?"

            "I said I'm not mad. Just surprised. Surprised that instead of him on his knees as you claimed he would be, it's you."

            "You make me sound pathetic."

            "Because you are, Kattie doggie woogie." Yuma straightened. "You're not the same anymore. You're not as arrogant or as superior. You're doing homework, you're coming to classes and for heaven's sake, you buy fish." Yuma narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, do you still know how to hold a cigarette?"

            "You don't have to be insulting."

            "I'm not insulting you. I'm just asking." Yuma leaned back in her seat again. "Aah, the class is filling up. Better take your textbook out, Kat. I'm sure you brought it."

            Kat's lips thinned at that. She _did_ have the Maths textbook in her backpack. "So I had a change of mind. Maybe I don't want to corrupt him anymore. What's the big deal?"

            "No big deal." Yuma agreed sweetly. "None of my business either. I just think it's syrupy. An ironic outcome. You're actually a good, private school girl now."

            Kat hissed. "I'm _not_ a good, private school girl."                 

            "Hey, Kat," a fellow classmate said then. "You got full marks for the Science assessment project!"

            Kat winced. "It was just some scribbles," she quickly told Yuma.

            Yuma snickered and started to doodle on her notebook. Then raising her eyes to the doorway, she nudged Kat. "Here comes your Master. Bark, girl."

             Kat sighed and gritted her teeth. 

            "Super cool!" a classmate was enthusiastically congratulating Jin as they waited for the next teacher to come in. "I've heard all about your moves from Kiyota. He said it was an easy game."

            Jin laughed. "Actually, it was really, really tough. Shohoku was something. Scared us down to our stomachs – including Kiyota – when they refused to budge."

            "Yeah," another girl piped up, ready to show off her knowledge. "You guys were only a mere two points away, weren't you? That's rather unnatural for Kainan."

            "I was there," yet another jumped in, even more smug. "This junior Shohoku player had the ball seconds before the end. The redhead. He had our hearts stopping. But the fool sent the ball to our player instead."

            "Good thing he was a fool."

            "Yep."

            "Probably a slight mistake." Jin shrugged. "But I can't deny he's a powerful player."

            "What's power without skill and brains, eh Jin? Kainan players have got all three."

            "Except Kiyota."

            "Yeah, except Kiyota. He lacks a brain."

            "Add a magnificent three-pointer to that," a girl with streaks of green in her hair (just following the trend) cut in, "and you've got a winner. Congratulations, Jin."

            Kat's eyes were as small as the pin that held her hair together, her lips as thin as the line she'd drawn in her notebook. _ If that shameless, big-assed, green-haired girl slides an inch closer to Jin,_ she vowed quietly, _I'm going to make sure the suspenders she's smugly flashing beneath that excuse for a skirt is hanged on the class' notice board. Might as well help her show ALL of it off while she was at it._

            _Relax. She's just congratulating him._

_            No need to wrap herself all around him._

_            You're just mad because you want to do the same, but can't because you're too proud and you don't want to give Yuma another proof that you're Kattie doggie woogie._

_            Shut up._

_            You're only saying that because you know I'm right._

_            I'll say it again. SHUT UP._

_            Nyahahahahahaha!_

            The crowd around Jin had dispersed, but the girl stayed on, undoubtedly still showering praises on Jin without probably even knowing what she was talking about. Kat counted until ten. She barely made it to five when she lost her patience and shot up on her feet. Composing her face into a cold and calm expression, she sauntered over.

            The green-haired girl noticed her almost immediately, and stopped talking/praising abruptly. One little glare from Kat, and she quickly wrapped up and said goodbye to Jin. He blinked at the sudden retreat, then turned and smiled when he saw her. "Hey."

            He waited expectantly for the hearty 'congratulations' and the kisses she loved to pour on him – maybe even a comment or two about his play.

            "Hey," she greeted right back, mouth rigid, and an unsure expression on her face as if she'd forgotten what she'd stood up for. 

_You're going to congratulate me, aren't you?_

"I'm …" 

            _Aren't you?_

"… going to the toilet."

            She sailed right past him.

            Jin blinked, surprised. Then, shrugging and scolding himself for being foolish, he sat back in his seat. _She's just not interested in basketball_, he reasoned calmly. _That's all._

            But he'd seen the signs of withdrawal in the brief second she'd looked at him as if he was the bane of her entire life. He knew exactly when a person was shutting him out, and this seemed to be one of those times. Baffled and confused, he merely refused to acknowledge it.

            Just some crazy imagination.

            They were great together.

            Of course she wasn't backing out.

            But wasn't that what she'd always done in her past relationships?

            None of his business. He didn't want to know.

            Oblivion is bliss, especially in matters like this.

            _She's just not interested in basketball,_ he reminded himself, edgy at the way he was blowing everything out of proportions. _No big deal. _

            Still, he failed to concentrate on lessons after that.

            "No."

            Jin looked at her with a funny face. "I haven't even finished asking you yet."

            Kat shifted her empty water bottle away. "It's still going to be 'no'."

            He opened his mouth to say something, closed it again and then merely shook his head. "Okay. Sorry to bother you." He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he crossed the classroom. Kiyota was faithfully waiting outside, already in his sports shoes. 

            "Well?" he demanded in that loud voice of his. "What's going on with Juliet, Romeo?"

            Jin shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I must've done something wrong. She's a bit surly." he brooded, sighing. "I don't understand girls at all."

            Kiyota snickered. "I recall you saying that once." He thumped his chest. "Ask me. I'll know."

            Jin started to laugh.

            "What? You think I don't know??" He puffed his chest out. "I have been on exactly seven dates and all seven are DIFFERENT girls."

            "Yeah," Jin nodded agreeably, glad anyway with the distraction. "Your mom, your sister, your cousin, your auntie, your grandmother, your niece and your female turtle."

            "WHY YOU!"

            Pieces of paper were cascading around Kat. She stared dully at Yuma. "What are you doing?"

            "Throwing confetti around you." She pretended to bow respectfully. "The Kat I know has returned. All bow to her."

            Playing along, the rest of the group bowed along. "Oooh," they crooned. "Oooh."

            Kat grabbed hold of one of their noses and squeezed – HARD. 

"Aauuuuugh!"

"That's more like it," she said pleasantly, sitting down at her regular post to watch other students go home. "What are we doing today?"

"Sit around." Yuma shrugged. "What else is there to do?"

An unexpected image of her Physics textbook flashed in Kat's mind. _Darn it._ "Sure, sit around. No problem." She leaned back against the wall filled with their graffiti, ordered herself to relax and not fidget around so much. She'd done this a lot of times before. She could do it again. So what if it was a waste of time? 

'There is no other time but now'.

Hadn't she pledged to stick to that philosophy?

"Hey, people, here comes nerdy, goody Miyamatsu." Miyoshi announced gleefully, already flexing his muscles. From three metres away, Miyamatsu, a mini Year Three student was walking cautiously, desperately finding another way to get out of the gate without going across them.

Miyoshi and two other guys twice Miyamatsu's size got up with a purposefully intimidating look on their faces which they knew scared the hell out of the poor boy. 

Kat used to enjoy this little ritual they had. Bully the poor, feel the power. There was an unspeakable pleasure of having a huge affect on somebody else. Of scaring them down to their wits just by looking at them. Of having them drop down to their knees with one little finger.

But now she was just bored.

Miyamatsu was nicely surrounded now, shivering so much his glasses actually rattled against his bony nose. "I don't have anything!" he quickly squeaked, taking a defensive step back. "I don't have any money! Leave me alone!"

Miyoshi snorted. "That's what he says every time."

"Lack of creativity," somebody else supplied.

"Most probably," Miyoshi agreed as Yuma burst laughing. "Hey, clean glasses boy, you owe me five thousand yen."

Miyamatsu started to shake. "I don't." he denied, not as confidently as he'd like. "I don't owe you anything."

"Well, you do now." They grinned at the way Miyamatsu was all but wetting his pants. "Five thousand yen on my lap in three seconds or you'll go home crying." Not that he wasn't already.

"I – I don't have that much money."

"Sure you do. You're just too shy." Miyoshi counted until three. "Time's up. Let's get him, guys."

They advanced forward meaningfully.

"Don't! I didn't do anything! Please go away! Leave me alone!"

Yuma was almost rolling on the floor in laughter. "Shit, he sounds like a virginal girl about to be molested!" she guffawed hysterically. "Get a load of that, Kat!"

Kat grinned, almost sympathetically. "Give the poor guy a break."

"Na-ah. Not until I get my five thousand yen." Two of the boys had Miyamatsu pinned to the ground while Miyoshi searched him. "Bus receipts, gum wrappers, keys, school notes… can't you get any more boring than that? Ah, here we are." He held out a rather fat purse. "Well, well, well. Eight thousand yen."

"It's for my tuition!" Miyamatsu yelled. "It's for my monthly bus fare!"

"_I don't have that much money,_" Miyoshi mocked. "_It's for my tuition! It's for my monthly bus fare!_ You make up your mind, and then you tell us the correct lie." He released Miyamatsu with an impish grin. "Okay. Your debt's paid. You can go home now."

Miyamatsu stared helplessly at the rolls and rolls of money in Miyoshi's hand. "Please, give that back to me," he begged pathetically, "it's the only money I've got till the end of this month. I –"

"Then just go to your stinking rich daddy for more."

Miyamatsu looked stricken. "My daddy's not –"

"There you are, Miyamatsu," Jin had jogged over, unaware of the situation until he was two metres away. He stopped, briefly looking over the scene. "Is… is something wrong?"

Yuma nudged Kat. "Ehem."

Kat scowled sourly, unsure which one that was meant for.

Miyoshi grinned. "Nothing, buddy. Here, take your little friend away, will you?"

Jin helped Miyamatsu to his feet. "You're late for practice. Didn't Maki tell you to come today? He's spitting mad. We better go now. I've been looking all over for you."

Miyamatsu held back a sob. "Jin, he's got my money."

Miyoshi rolled his eyes, mouthing the word: _Cry baby_ before making cute baby noises which made the others laugh.

"Sorry?"

"My money. Eight thousand. My monthly allowance."

"Oh," Miyoshi said then. "So now it's your _monthly allowance._"

Miyamatsu had a crestfallen and beaten look on his face. The sad way his eyes peered at Jin told him he was expected to do something about it. _You want me to fight them?? Me? Fight? Where's Maki when you need him?_ "Guys," Jin began carefully, "we'd really appreciate it if you could return that money to Miyamatsu. He really needs it."

"I need it too," Miyoshi retorted.

"Yes," Jin agreed, "we all need money." He looked briefly at Kat, who seemed to be ignoring him totally by staring right through him as if he was empty air. "But it's his, you see."

"It's mine now."

Jin held back the sigh. _Aaaargh! What do I do now??_ "Not rightfully. Let's not create trouble and have the teachers come running after us. Just return it and we'll be out of your way."

Miyoshi started to deliver another snappy and smart-ass comeback, amused at the harassed look on Jin's adorable face, but Yuma piped up before he could. "Let's ask Kat."

Kat's eyes whipped sharply at Yuma's face. "What?"

"You decide," Yuma said then, making it seem generous of her, "Should we return the money to Jin, or not?" Her look said something else. _Which side are you going to back up, ours or his?_

Kat gritted her teeth. _Damn it._

 Whoa! A rather long chappie! Hope it made up to the delay!


	10. choices

Had written about three quarters, and finally managed to get enough energy and mind power to finish it so it can be put up (and so I can save myself from psycho readers) (wahahahaha!). I'm not in a very stable state of mind (0.0), so the chapter probably doesn't make sense. :P 

            But pretend you understand anyway. ^_^

December Owl Morning: Have fun with the millions of things you should be doing right now (why are you doing reading this chapter?? Go and work!) ^_^

Iluvenis Telperien: We'll seeeeee! :D Enjoy!

Tiran: Thanks a lot! You keep up reading! Wahahahaha!

Unquestionable: Dead guys are interesting?? Well, in the case of The Mummy, yeah, but History… uh… (BTW, recently had my history paper and did not know what Perjanjian Bandung was) (???)

Krappkarmin: Oh yeah! Tell that to Kat! It'll be a miracle if she actually listens to it (but hey, you and I can always gang up on her, right?)

Chidero: *studies the certificate* *declares it invalid* *sends Chidero to jail* Wahahahaha! Not only have I got Kat stuck between her group and jin, I've got MYSELF wedged in between homework and exams. Waaargh!

Lambie: hahahaha! I didn't know the ability to make people hate things you create is impressive! Shouldn't it have been the other way round? *shrugs* Never mind! Enjoy!

Fiery Ice: Glad you enjoyed it. ^_^ You'll see what Kat will do if you follow these instructions. A) move your cursor to the right side of your screen. B) scroll down till you see I have finished ranting. C) read the text given. Then only will you know…

White Meteor: Jin get together with green hair girl???? *chokes with equally green face* I'd rather have him pair up with ME! (and I've got purple hair – wahahahaha!) Don't worry about Kat. She was pathetic from the beginning (though I'm v. happy you thought she was decisive) (she was? Bossy's more like it!). I'm actually trying to portray her as someone who tries to please others so desperately that you wanna slap her and throw her into the river at times. ^_^ Have you ever felt like doing that?

Akira-akisame: Updated! Updated! Updated! You ROCKZ too!

Jeano: Me? Genius? *scratches armpit* Wahahahaha! Arigato! Oh, but I love cliffhangers so, especially if it's from me. He he!

Unchained: Ten thousand pages? Aheh heh. I can't even pass the four page requirement for English essays in school. ^_^ 

Crazy4u: *looks at the beloved bazooka* er… hey! Why you go and guess the plot? Now I dunno what to do already! :D Ha ha! *ntd farts in crazy4u's face* (there goes my sate and durian) A little token for barfing in MY face. ^_^ Yeah, I've just realised about the incompleteness of Roger Captain! He he, me brain dead and forgot all about it. And yeah, tell me about your dad. My mom's a doctor with a distinguished PhD, and she's the one with the most diseases in the family. :P

White soul: glad to see you too. ^_^ Well, bed is as good as a cliff, I guess. Haha! I like Maki too!

Tensaispira: Oh yeah, putting Jura & Shouri for answers will get you 100%, baby! They must be so flattered. How come you're not putting MY name? it'll get you a 120%. Trust me.

Alexia: Yeah, time to test her loyalties. Who do you think it'll go to? He he. Correct answer in five seconds, and you will be given a prize. Whoops, by the time you finish reading this, five seconds is up. Sorry. :D

Stefified: Of course I had to end the chapter like that! ^_^ 

Patty g: What does B.I. stands for? If it's really bad, then you MUST tell me. ^_^ Why are they such a big deal to her? Because they're her friends! To tell you the truth, I'd choose friends anytime, but then again, I don't have a boyfriend as cute as Jin so… Oh well. Enjoy!

Xiaoj: Crave no longer (haha! It's almost as if this story is ice cream or something!) Enjoy reading!

Akane: Yep! I say she deserves to be stuck there for changing her mind so much. Continued!

Sofia/3sh: Wonder no more! Let's see if you guessed her dialogue right!

They were all staring at her, waiting patiently. Miyoshi with a rueful look on his face, clutching on to the money possessively, Yuma with that annoying raise of the eyebrow, Jin unaware of the internal struggles and at the same time disturbed at what was going on, Miyamatsu still shaking and making pitiful sounds about his stolen money, and the others plain curious about what was about to take place.

"Well?" Yuma asked then.

"Why me?" Kat demanded then. "You started it," she told Miyoshi. "You finish it."

Miyoshi snorted. "I was about to before –"

"Can't you even decide on a simple thing, Kat?" Yuma interrupted yet again. "All we want is a 'yes' or 'no'."

Kat stared at her helplessly. "Okay, listen," she straightened and looked at Miyamatsu for a long while. Then she glanced at Jin before sighing. "I don't know. And I really don't care."

"Sitting on a fence," Yuma muttered. "What an easy way out."

That was precisely the exact button to push. Kat's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. "All right," she muttered. "I'll tell you 'yes' or 'no'." It was like deciding whether to jump over a cliff or not. 

Personally, Kat admitted, she thought they could just return the money. Miyamatsu was looking so pathetic and helpless that even the iciest of ice would melt with disgusted sympathy. And it would be the kind of thing Jin would do without a second thought. The right thing to do. 

The honourable thing.

Only problem was, Kat's friends never did the right thing, much less honourable.

Kat knew what Yuma was trying to do. This was some sort of a test to check her loyalty. To force her to prove her alliance. Her support. And in a way, Kat didn't blame her. As a matter of fact, had it been reversed, she would have done just the exact same thing. If Yuma had changed so much by going out with a guy up to the point of being unrecognisable, Kat would have taken all steps to break them up.

Luckily, Yuma fell for the same kind. Miyoshi was every bit as wild as she was.

Now why did she have to fall for Jin, of all people? 

"Hello? Kat?"

If she said 'yes', then that was all Yuma needed to accuse her of betraying their friendship and stuff like that, stuff people think gangsters don't value but actually do. That was all she needed to turn the entire group against her. That was all she needed to ostracise her.

Kat swore silently. She didn't work hard to be accepted in the group just to be kicked right back out because of a certain specimen from the male species. "No."

"No?" Miyoshi laughed. "Your honour has spoken. Thanks, Miyamatsu."

Jin frowned slightly. "But you're stealing his money."

"Stealing. Hey Kat, Jin says we're stealing money."

Kat cocked her head. "He can say whatever he wants. It's a free country."

Miyoshi whooped. "There you have it. Come on. This calls for a drink or two. My treat!" 

Miyamatsu whimpered as they bounded off, leaving Jin and him awkwardly in the middle of the hangout spot. Jin's shoulders sagged, and he turned with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Miya," he murmured. "If I'd had a few more muscles and pounds to brag of, I'd have taken them on. I wish Maki had been here. As it is, I'll treat you for lunch and dinner, since it's my fault for not retrieving your money back."

"It's okay." Miyamatsu sighed. "You did your best. No offence," he said then, with sudden anger, "but your girlfriend's a bitch."

Jin looked down to the ground. "She's not. With me, she's not."

"She just was."

Unable to find a respond, he ushered Miyamatsu silently across the sun-dappled school lawn.

"Close your mouth," Kat muttered, putting her hands self-consciously behind her skirt as she looked down at Miyamatsu. "It's big enough in the first place."

The mentioned mouth was closing and opening rapidly in shock. "I- but – you – why-"

"Do you always talk like that?" She'd meant it to be rude, but somehow it came out sounding amused. "You're in Year Three now, aren't you? You did go through kindergarten, right?"

He was still sputtering. For some reason, the stark contrast of jumping nerves and confusion in his face as he stared at her made her smile. Then, she burst laughing. "Gosh, you're adorable." She laughed even more when he turned crimson. "Listen, there's exactly eight thousand in there. I counted."

He stared dazedly at the package she had placed in his hands earlier on. 

Kat shrugged and then turned to leave. "Don't go around carrying so much money again." She reminded absently, walking down the empty corridor (she'd carefully made sure no one was around). "We have a way of sniffing it out."

Miyamatsu watched her go, staring at her swishing skirt as she hurriedly started to jog away. "T-t-" he tried. "Thanks."

She didn't hear him.

She had gone to the toilet two minutes before the bell rang. As she rushed back to class, the place was already empty, only echoes of laughter and loud conversation remaining. Too preoccupied with wanting to get out of school, she didn't hear the busy clicking of a calculator until she was three-steps inside her classroom.

Jin was bent over his exercise book, calmly working out a mathematical problem.

For a moment, she was reminded of their first meaningful encounter with each other.

Then he looked up.

Caught staring, and surprisingly ashamed of it, she averted her eyes and rushed straight to her desk in pretence of being in a hurry. _Don't talk to me, don't talk to me, I don't know what to say, don't talk to me, don't talk to me._

Jin snapped his Mathematics book with a quiet snap, turned off his calculator.

_Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me._

He stood up, headed for the door -

_Phew._

- and closed it.

Alarmed at the un-Jin-like move, Kat straightened warily. "People are going to be saying a lot of things when you close the door like that with just the two of us inside," she muttered, trying to keep it light but not succeeding very much.

"And your point is?"

She stopped packing. "Wow. Suddenly you're being such a smart-ass."

He winced at that, but remained where he was. "What's going on with you?"

"Well," she said, "at the moment, nothing much. I've got stuff to do every now and then, but I'm not all that busy on the whole. I'm very healthy too, no flu, no fever or anything. Been eating regularly and exercising when I actually remember. Normal things."

"Kat –"

"Heard you got ninety-something percent for your Chemistry paper. Congratulations. Did you know that Miyoshi failed again? He's really hopeless. Too much wrestling-watching, if you ask me. He's in the cafeteria. By the way, there's this new food being served. It's quite nice. Have you had it?"

Refusing to be distracted, he stepped forward. "Did I do something wrong?"

Kat swung her bag over one shoulder, looked for a long moment at him. "No," she muttered, sighing. "It's not you. I just … need some space. No, no," she quickly interrupted him, already anticipating his questions, "you didn't crowd on me. It's not you. It's … it's not you."

"Are your friends putting pressure on you?"

"Don't be silly. Look, I'm running late. Open the door."

"Are you putting pressure on yourself?"

She hissed impatiently, stopping right in front of him. "Open the door."

He had a visible frowning dent on his forehead. "So this is how it's going to be? You're just going to avoid me and act as if I don't exist? And then what? Come back when things are well? And go off again when things are not?"

Her eyes were narrow slits by now. "Open the door, Jin."

"Why are you so weak, Kat?"

That was the last word she'd expected him to use on her. Temper flashed and blew over her already hot head. She tugged her bag off her shoulder and slammed it into a nearby table viciously. "Listen properly to what I'm going to say, and with luck, you'll probably get the gist of it," she said heatedly, arms on her hips. "My friends and I have been together for years. You, I've only known for less than four months. LESS than four months," she emphasised, waving four fingers in his face, "and when it comes down to friends or you, you're the one who has to go. Okay?"

He didn't say anything, but the look on his face revealed enough. Catching herself from her temper, Kat's eyes widened at the things she'd said under heat and groaned. Weakly, she extended her hand and apologetically touched his arm. "I'm sorry. I – I didn't mean that." She ran her other hand down her face, massaged her neck. "I don't know what's going on. I want to be with you, but I want to be with my friends too, and I can't seem to do both. And I don't know what to do, who to go to. I …" she searched for something to say. "I just need some space."

He nodded silently and moved to open the door. "I saw what you did for Miyamatsu today," he whispered quietly when she passed. Her stricken and embarrassed look amused and charmed him, but didn't dispel the heavy misery weighing his shoulders down. "Thanks."

She shrugged uncomfortably. "It's no big deal."

"It is to me," he told her. "Figure out whom is it that you want in your life," he advised, "Choose wisely."

Her smile was dry. "I don't know if I have that much wisdom in me."

"You mean a lot to me, Kat."

Her eyes warmed, but her smile faded. "You're not making it any easier." Impulsively, she stretched on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Just in case I never get the chance again." 

Then she was gone.

Jin stared around the empty classroom and sighed pensively. 


	11. fight

He he. This is probably the longest time I've gone without updating. What was it? Two weeks? Three? Sorry, but was really occupied (don't want to use the overused 'busy'). BTW, two of the competitions I mentioned entering is OVER with! Wahahahaha! Won one, and got second place for the other. Am going for the Nationals!

            Now, am faced with mid-year exams which will last for three weeks, so you won't see me anymore till then. ^_^ Not that anybody will miss me. -_- Ha ha! Enjoy!

Madiha: Woi! Study lar! Takde kerja lain ke? Wahahaha!

Akira-akisame: You demand for more? Then you must pay me! Wahahaha! Relax. I'll get the chapters up when I'm done with them. ^_^ Which seems to be another ten thousand years…

December Morning Owl: Thank you! Everything else I have to do includes exams! 

Iluvenis Telperien: The reverse gear won't work. I cannot reverse the story yet. I'll send myself to a car workshop someday.

Yuriko: Thank you!

Unchained: Arigato!

Tiran: Holyly good? I think you created a new word! Thank you!

Aleixa: You gotta take into consideration the type of people Kat's friends are too. ^_^ You understand the story and what's going on very well! I'm so proud of you! ^_^

Mskitsune: Thank you. ^_^

Jgal: Thanks!

Keax-V: No, I don't have MSN. He he. I'm a social outcast. Wahahaha!

Akane: Find out!

Fiery-ice: I'm waiting to see it play out. ^_^ The thing is, I never know what to do with my characters. So I just go to the computer, put my hands on the keyboard, and whoosh! A chapter comes out! 

Crazy4u: You're in a PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB?? So jealous. I want to be a photographer but dunno anything about it. Give me free lessons, pwease?

Clare: Oi, why would you be jealous?

Lambie: Read on!

Hana-lai: Yeah, I didn't notice him much in the anime, but in the comic book - ^_^!!! Someone just sent me a dare to do a Kogure fic. I'll see if I have time! I have enough trouble with my current undertakings as it is!

Ground-0: Thank you! Me glad u like it. ^_^

j.argent: Cliffhangers? *innocently* where?

Frozenfemale: You'll find out if you read on!

Sofia/3sh: Don't cry… I feel terrible when I make someone cry (unless they're my brothers)

Md_hatter: We? You're more than one person? 0.0 Ha ha! I'm really sorry about the slow updates, but it's the best I can do. I've been swamped for weeks and have barely had a decent weekend for as long as I remember. Tolerate me, okay? ^_^ A sequel? *face blank with shock* I'm not even done with this one yet!!

Unquestionable: Good, that means I'm safe.

Jeano: Thank you!

Patty g:B.I – bad influence? Then I am the Queen of B.I.s! Muahahaha!

Yasu: Maybe she likes being a brat? I do. ^_^ Thanks! Me like her too!

Lady Kai: Yeah! I am the girl!! I wish you a peaceful death. Amen. 

Kiss Is the Best: You again! I will, I will, relax!!

Tensaispira: You'll see!

White soul: No breaks for me? Have you got no humanity in you? :P I'll update faster someday. That's not a promise, by the way.

"Cheer up, you bull," Yuma muttered in irritation. "Just a few months ago, you would've been delighted to have a free pack of cigarettes." In her hand was the said free pack, clutched in annoyance.

Kat glanced up. "No, thanks."

"Why?"

"Because it makes my mouth smell."

"Like anyone's going to come up and sniff at it," Miyoshi snorted in amusement. "Oh, Kat, your divine mouth entices every single male soul. I am sure many would want to stick their noses into it."

Kat smiled sweetly. "Now, Miyoshi, I know you're one of them. You only had to ask."

They sneered at each other. 

"Go on," Yuma said then. "Take one."

Kat's eyebrows furrowed. "I thought I already said no. Three times, in fact."

"Oh? So now you're all reformed and nice and pure, aren't you? Not going to puff on smoke like us dirty dogs, are you?"

Kat's back went up, her lips down. "What the hell is the matter with you, Yuma?"

"Hey, girls," Miyoshi started, slightly surprised. "Relax, will you? Yuma –"

"Just look at her!" she erupted, leaping to her feet in uncharacteristic protest. "She doesn't want to be like us. For all that we know, she probably doesn't want to be with us either!"

Kat stood up too. "I never said that, you –"

"You're not who you were, you know that?" Yuma interrupted. "I don't even know who you are now. What have you done to the old Kat? The one who claimed to be my friend and to stick with me through 'dirt and dump'?"

"I don't know what on earth you're talking about," Kat fired back, her face a contortion of anger and blank confusion. "I'm still Kat, damn it. How can I be somebody else? And I'm here with you now, aren't I? Why are you so bloody sensitive nowadays?"

"Yuma, Kat –" Miyoshi's voice drowned in the sea of insults they hurled at each other.

"Take one and prove that you're still one of us," Yuma hissed, once again shoving the pack of cigarettes into view. "The Kat I knew I would."

Kat set her lips, her clouded mind clearing. "So our supposed friendship now lies on one stupid cigarette? Yuma, you're being ridiculous. I'm spending time with you. I'm no longer seeing Jin. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Oh, please," Yuma rolled her eyes. "Even now, you're thinking of him. Funny, isn't it, how your infatuation with him has totally wiped off my entire existence from your mind?"

"Your entire existence? It's not like I forgot your name or birth date –"

"Oh, who cares about Yuma?" Yuma mocked spitefully, so unlike her that Kat's mouth simply hung open. "Yeah, so we've been friends for ages. But hey, Jin is so much cuter, so much easier to manipulate. Plus, he offers sex. Not a bad deal. Who's Yuma again?"

Kat hissed sharply, had to pause for three seconds to control herself. "You know that's not true," she said slowly and darkly. "I don't have to tell you. And I don't have to tell you again that I don't want that stupid cigarette. I don't want to take it just to prove to you that I'm your friend." She clenched her fist. "As a matter of fact, I don't _need_ to prove I'm your friend. You should just know."

Silence draped over them, making Miyoshi blink.

Tired, Kat lowered herself again on her seat and stared out the window.

Just as silently, Yuma did the same.    

Miyoshi sat nervously between them.

She was watching him. He could all but feel her eyes drill into his back, feel her measure him, judge him and ponder about him. He gripped the basketball until his nails dug into it, was distracted for a second, allowing Kiyota to make a grab for the ball. "Shit, you have the ball glued to your hand."

"Sorry." He released it. 

Maki blew the whistle shrilly. "Jin! What was _that_?? Who taught you to release the ball and let it fall right into the enemy's lap?? It sure as hell wasn't me."

Jin blinked, remembered he was playing against Kiyota. "Oh, sorry." He managed to smile sheepishly at his captain. "My mind, uh, … wandered."

Maki started to give a biting comment, his temper up and roaring after a tiring morning of endless lessons and exercises plus basketball training and dealing with Kiyota's antics, but at the helpless look on Jin's face, he held himself back. "If that's how you're going to perform for today, you might as well sit down until you find yourself again. I'm annoyed enough as it is. Kiyota!! DON'T SIT ON THE BALL!"

Jin sighed, accepted the order to take a break and went over to his water bottle. She was still watching him, standing at the furthest corner of the gym, shadowed by the second floor balcony and invisible to everybody else but him. 

It irritated him, more than just mildly, that she couldn't see the obvious. What made her think she had to choose between her friends and him? Why hadn't it occurred to her that she could strike a balance between both? Why couldn't she see what there was between them? 

And why hadn't she realised what the entire ordeal was causing him?

If he were made like Maki, he would've just pounded the stark truth onto her head until it went in and until she had no more room to back off. If he were anything like Kiyota, he would've just quickly healed himself and spring out for other girls. 

But he wasn't either. Jin Souichirou held back, gave space, gave choices. That way, when she came to him, it was because she wanted to. Because it was her choice, and because she knew it was best for her. If only it didn't take so damn long. "Practice over," Maki called out, that scowl still on his face. "Tomorrow we take on Ryonan, and the day after, Takesado. Then we go on to the Nationals." It was said in such a matter-of-fact way, as though the win was already guaranteed. "Jin, go home and sleep for twelve hours. Come back tomorrow alive and pumping." "All right." 

            She had planned on going away as soon as the practice was announced over. Had really wanted to rush off and away before either one of them had the chance to bump into each other. It was stupid, she knew. Just as he'd pointed out, she couldn't avoid him forever.

            But it was the least she could do. 

            However, for some reason, she stayed on where she was. Just for a minute, she reasoned. A minute or two. Or three.

            She stayed for five.

            And now he was standing in front of her, slightly sweaty and panting. His eyes were steady though as he gazed down at her. His smile was subtly tensed, but still as gentle, still as eye-catching. 

             _A stark contrast to Yuma's face, that's for sure._

            "Not home yet?"

            "I didn't know which home to go to," Kat shrugged. "That's the problem when you have too many parents and homes."

            He grinned briefly and then looked distractedly at his sports shoes. "Can you come for tomorrow's game?"

            _This is why you should've escaped earlier, idiot!!_ Kat shifted uneasily. "No, I can't. Sorry." _Don't be mad at me. Please don't blow up in my face._

            "All right." He flashed a smile and turned to leave. "I should go home and get the sleep Maki's so anxious about. Remember to finish your homework."

            Surprised he'd somehow brought in the topic of homework, Kat stared stupidly at him. Then she caught herself, and trying to match his casual tone, said, "Yeah, yeah. Don't you ever think of anything else?"

"I live for homework."

She found herself snorting in amusement, her tensed muscles relaxing. "Right. Get out of here."

"I'm about to." He stepped nimbly out of the gym. "See you." With a cheerful wave, he was off.

_Now,_ Kat thought vaguely, _why can't Yuma be like that?_

She didn't see his shoulders slump as he went around the corner.


	12. ponderings

Okie dokie! Finished a chapter of Jin! Do I have to apologise for the delay again? :P Enjoy!

Akane1: It's my job to make characters suffer, akane-chan. What else am I capable of doing?? ^_^ Read and have fun, okay?

December Owl Morning: Thanks for the good luck wish! Guess I got through more or less alive. He he he… sorry to keep you waiting!

Sofia/3sh: Wow, GOOD character analyzing there! You got the conflict between Yuma and Kat EXACTLY as how I had wished to potray it! You're good!

Tiran-2366: Thanks! Will keep the 5-stars twinkling in my room. ^_^ What competition was I part of? Well, debate, choral speaking, forum – basically all the talking stuff. I do talk a lot you know… ^_^

Fataliste: Thank you! That was very nice of you to give me brownie points. 

Unquestionable: Hey! The sex part wasn't supposed to be funny! … *silently rethinks* well, it is sort of … never mind.

Crazy4u: I've known there was something wrong with my head ever since I was born. ^_^ Thanks for waiting for the next chap!

Kka: Yep, I missed you after staying away for so long. ^_^ 

sLL: Am updating! I guess it's waaaay too late to wish you good luck for your mid-years as it is *checks calendar* the END OF THE YEAR at this very moment… eheheheh…. Still, hope you enjoy yourself!

Kugatsu-no-akisame: Yep, I'm alive and breathing at a normal rate. Kat's a weak person. People's opinions of her (particularly her friends') matter a lot – though I really don't see why… I mean, WHO CARES WHAT PEOPLE THINK??? He he… And I updated earlier than a thousand years… sorry!

Unchained: *quickly deploys ten lawyers to defend her against unchained's lawsuits* Cheer up!

Patty g: Well, you and White Soul can rest easy now – I'm updating!

Fiery-ice: Arigato! Yeah, winning is fun. ^_^ As it happens, now's already Christmas, so I suppose it's not appropriate for me to ask about your mid-years? Ehehehe… have fun reading this stupid chap!

Kylie: Jin – be like Maki? NOOOOOOOO! He's lose every ounce of cute-ness! Not that Maki's not cute but… nah, Jin's fine the way he is!

Xiaoj: Have fun reading more! You can be sure I'm continuing!

White Meteor: My shortest chapter??? Are you kidding??? I thought it was impressively long! I guess Kat's just stuck between her friends. ^_^

Jeano: Thanks! Guess I did well enough for my mid-year. Now am awaiting the FINAL YEAR results!! The tension is killing me!

j.argent: Okay, okay, I'm typing and I'm typing and I'm typing… finally got a chapter done too, so your tip worked! Thanks!

White soul: It seems I've taken a longer break than I meant to. Find out what I have in mind by scrolling down, okay? Hope you like it!

Abi: It wasn't a cliffy! Was it? Thanks! I'm fond of Kat too, though there are times I feel like pushing her off a cliff for actually TURNING JIN DOWN. You got brain cancer yet? ^_^ joking!

Animecrazy: Waaaargh! Another DEATH THREAT! Why do you people enjoy killing innocent beings like me so much? ^_^ Enjoy reading!

XxOo: Sorry for the long wait! I really got carried away with recent happenings. And yeah, UK was awesome. Thanks for asking!

Seonaid Mist: Nope, it's not the last chapter, though I should probably warn you the last chapter's sooner than later. Don't whack yourself senseless. I'd be more than willing to whack you myself. He he! Entertain your brain with this chap!

Nikka4: Updating! It's been so long, hasn't it? Sorry! 

Kalie: I'm updating! Spare me! I'm trying my best to get back in writing mode. All the exams recently have sort of emptied my brain…

It was the last game for the season. The Takesado players were warming up, every now and then shooting nervous glances at the Kainan side of the court where the players stood unperturbed and relaxed. 

            Except for one.

            Maki studied Jin speculatively. Hands on hips, with a slightly irritated look on his features, he called out, "She's not here."

            Jin jumped slightly, startled, and whipped his eyes to his captain in surprise. "I – I wasn't looking for her."

            "Right. That's why you circled the court ten times staring at the crowd."

            "I was… warming up."

            Maki snorted. Jin couldn't lie to save his life. "Whatever. All right, prep talk. Gather around!"

Jin looked one last time at the crowd and then quietly joined his teammates. 

            Kat sat at one end of the booth, moodily staring out the glass at the road outside. Yuma sat on the other end, just as sulkily. Neither had spoken to the other ever since the fight, and now Miyoshi sat between them, feeling as if ticking bombs surrounded him. 

            "Pizza, anyone?" he tried.

            No reply.

            "Lighten up," he moaned after a moment. "It's my birthday, you goons. Don't make my day depressing." He picked two pizzas himself and placed them firmly on Kat and Yuma's plate. "Have a pizza and let's celebrate." When the silence continued to coat the table, veins popped on his forehead. "EAT THEM!" he roared. "I'LL STUFF THEM DOWN YOUR THROATS IF I HAVE TO!"

            Immediately, the pizzas disappeared from plate to stomach.

            Satisfied, Miyoshi started to sing himself a birthday song. Kat turned to look at him and smiled sadly at the pathetic sound of his voice. Being fond of Miyoshi, she struggled to break out of her bad mood and joined along. "… you were born in the loo! Cause nobody wanted you! Happy Birthday to you!!"

            They finished with hearty slaps on each other's back and beamed. 

            Yuma sat still, watching with eyes as narrow as needles. "My, my," she began, "isn't she cheerful today?" 

            Kat's grin disappeared. Instead of addressing her by name, Yuma was addressing her as a third person. As if she wasn't there. As if, Kat felt, she had no right to be there.

            "But of course, she _was_ invited to join the National Science Quiz competition," Yuma sneered. "Must have been a proud moment. Having that nerd Musami come up to her to ask her to join nerddom. We should buy her some really, thick heavy glasses to read with, eh, Miyoshi? She would want to start reading those thick encyclopedias and all, wouldn't she?"

            "Err… aaah," Miyoshi rubbed his head.

            Kat's colour had risen. Red in the face, she recalled the incident that morning when the president of the Science Club had approached her and asked if she would like to represent the school in the  quiz. It had been mortifying as her friends fell laughing on the floor and thumped Musami on the chest, asking him if he was joking. Kat had declined. No way was she going to be caught dead answering Science questions among people who haunt the school labs. 

            But it was quite flattering to actually be considered.

            "It's not like I asked for it," Kat muttered, pulling her jacket close around her defensively as she prepared for another screaming match. 

            Yuma snorted. "Right, like she didn't study the past few weeks ago for the paper. Like she didn't get an 'A' for Chemistry. She wasn't just asking for it, she was begging." Yuma fisted her hand on the table. "Geek."

            Kat closed her eyes, remembering in amusement how Yuma and her had done everything they could to avoid that label. They wanted to be cool. Just the thought of being called a geek or a nerd sent shudders down their backs. 

            Why, though? What was the big deal with labels? Why did it matter if people who barely knew her thought she was cool or boring? Those people were going to die anyway.

            "A nerd, that's what she is." Yuma was muttering. "A drip. A bore."

            _A bore_, Kat mused. She glanced at Yuma, and at the purple band on her forearm. The band had been a sign of their gang. It was a sign that they belonged to a group. Kat had one too, as did everybody else in her gang. All of them wore the same colour, the same style of clothing. They all did the same thing, felt the same thing, held the same principles. They liked creating havoc, and the idea of education repulsed them. Trying to be different, Kat thought, without realising they were the same in so many ways. _Good God, I was boring._

            Miyoshi bristled at the tense silence. "Want another pizza?"

            Yuma lost it. "She doesn't want pizza!" she shouted, attracting startled stares from other tables. "Don't you see it, Miyoshi? She doesn't want to be here! She doesn't want to see our faces! You know what she wants? She wants to get the hell out of here! She wants to go see some stupid basketball match! She wants to join the mindless screaming for some sport. For some _guy._"

            Kat's eyes flashed. _Here goes another round._ She started to open her mouth to scream back, but then she caught a glimpse of Miyoshi's distressed face and forced herself to come down. _It's Miyoshi's birthday, _she reminded herself, _it's__ his special day. A fat lot of good you're doing fighting in his face._ Forcing a smile and a lighthearted tone, Kat reached into his pocket. "I've got something for you, Miyoshi."

            Miyoshi bit his lip nervously.

            Yuma turned red. "How dare you ignore me!" she screeched, pushing Kat's shoulder. "I was talking to you, you idiot!"

            _Talking to me, my foot! You talked to Miyoshi, you talked to the waiter and you talked to your plate, but not to me._ Kat sent a searing look at Yuma, her nails digging into her pocket. "Who are you, Yuma? Why is it that I don't feel as if I know you anymore?"

            "What the hell-" Yuma started furiously when Miyoshi who stood up abruptly cut her off. 

            "We're going to wash our hands," Miyoshi told Kat. "Finish the pizza." With a steely grip on Yuma's arm, he dragged her away. Kat relaxed fractionally when they disappeared behind the wall, heading in the wrong direction. She took out her hand from her pocket, along with a small packet that was supposed to be Miyoshi's gift. She glanced at it and groaned. She'd torn the wrapper with her nails.

            Pushing the packet to the side, she dropped her head into her outstretched hands and stared at the tablecloth, thinking.

            "What's wrong with you, Yuma?" Miyoshi demanded as they shoved through the back door and stepped outside into the dark alley.

            Yuma whirled around. "Me? I'm wrong?" She whipped one arm out and pointed furiously inside the restaurant. "The wrong one here is her! Any blind person can see she's hating every single minute with us! Any blind person can see she wants to go see that idiot Jin do his stupid thing on court!"

            Miyoshi rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. "The only blind person here is you," he shot back. "Don't you see anything at all? Yes, she's hating every minute she spends with us. Why? Because you're forever accusing her and poking at her and interrogating her like a damn policewoman!"

            "Oh, so now you're on her side, aren't you?" Yuma asked bitterly.

            "Don't be an idiot, Yuma. We both know she'd be a lot happier watching the stupid basketball match and joining along with the mindless screaming. But instead she comes to us, knowing very well the abuse she'd have to endure from you. Doesn't that just show you how much you mean to her?"

            "So now I'm supposed to thank her? Is that it?"

            "The point is," Miyoshi struggled to be patient, "she hasn't been to a single one of Jin's games. Don't you see it? She's chosen you over him."

            "Like that makes any difference. He's still on her mind."

            "Which makes it all the more difficult, doesn't it?"

            Yuma shot her boyfriend a withering glance. "Since when were you such a smart ass?"

            "I've always been a smart ass," he retorted. "I'm just sick of watching the two of butt heads and sulking like wimpy girls."

            "I can't help it," Yuma said out loud. "I'm just so angry with her. She's being such an asshole. She's no longer doing what we always do. She's even getting 'A's, for goodness' sake."

            "So?" Miyoshi shrugged. "If she gets roped into the student honour list and gets the burden of being sent to university, that's her problem."

            Yuma shook her head. "She's changed so much."

            Miyoshi raised an eyebrow as he took out a cigarette and started to light it. "So have you."

            Yuma narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply.

            "I don't know," Miyoshi puffed away. "You never were this edgy and bad-tempered. You used to be so supportive of Kat. The perfect definition of a friend, if you ask me. But now you're purposefully picking at her mistakes. You try your best to annoy her and bring her shackles up. You don't trust her anymore, and you show it. You don't even listen to her." He looked at Yuma. "You're upset because she's changed," he said, "but I suppose it never occurred to you that she's just as upset at the change in you."

_            Who are you, __Yuma__? Why is it that I don't feel as if I know you anymore? _Yuma gritted her teeth. "I haven't changed!" she insisted stubbornly. "Kat's the one who's changed! Soon enough, she'll abandon us and hang out with those nerds from the upper classes."

            Miyoshi angled his face. "Do you really think she'd do that?"

            Yuma glared at him. 

            "I don't know about you," he shrugged, "but if it was me, I'd let a friend do whatever she wants as long as she's happy. If she wants to go, then she can go. But I'll damn well make sure she remembers me with fond memories." Miyoshi threw the half-burned cigarette away. "The Yuma I know would have thought of that."

            He started back in, raised an eyebrow when Yuma didn't follow.

            He took three steps and then paused. "One more thing," he muttered. "The Yuma I know would have something delightful up her sleeve to surprise me with on my birthday instead of sulking over pizza and looking for a fight with her friend. I _am _her boyfriend after all."

            "Did she say she was coming?" Kiyota asked curiously as they packed their belongings after another victory. They'd just had the prize giving ceremony minutes ago – Kainan had of course clinched the winning throne again – and he was lovingly stroking his medal.

            Jin looked up. "No."

            "So why do you even bother looking for her?" Kiyota snorted and carefully placed his medal in his bag. "She hasn't been to any of our games before. What makes you think she's ever going to come?"

            "I guess I wasn't thinking right."

            "Humph," Kiyota snorted. Changing his mind, he lifted the medal back up to admire it. "Isn't she just beautiful?"

            Jin stopped zipping his bag. "Yes," he murmured. "She is."

            "Yeah, all these gold trimmings and golden shine…"

            Jin blinked and realised Kiyota was talking about his medal. Flushing, he finished zipping his bag and flung it over his shoulder. "Are we going to leave or are we going to lock ourselves in here just drooling over your medal?"

            "Coming, coming," Kiyota grinned at his reflection in the shiny coat. "Oi, Jin, do you think the National's medals are prettier?"

            "It is."

            "How do you know?"

            Jin shot him a funny look. "I have one. Last year's tournament."

            Kiyota stared at him. "I didn't know you were already in the line-up in Year 1."

            Jin shrugged, remembering. The hard work, the disappointment, the frustration. "It wasn't easy." Then he grinned. "So you see, you're not the only Super Rookie around here."

            "Hah! Like you can ever match my skills…"

Happy New Year!

nothingtodo


	13. little girl saved

Another chapter done. Hurrah! 

Patty g: We'll see what happens! I'm so glad to have you reading my stories again! (I thought after months-long-absence I'd lost all of you!!)

Crazy4u: Heh heh, I've been gone for a few months and you're already a ghost. Well done! Ha ha! No, I'm not taking form 6 because I can't imgine going back to school in the same uniform. Arrrgh! Good luck for your PMR! I'm currently doing my best to update! I never received a gold medal before!! I'm even more pathetic!! Ha ha! Enjoy!

Vanilla Fox: I love you too. ^_^ Even though I've yet to confirm if you're human or some other species. Ha ha! Joking! I can't bring myself to write yaoi fics though I do read them. My pleasure to supply you with non-yaoi fics!

December Owl Morning: Thanks! I'm glad I'm back writing too. Wait no longer, next chap's up. ^_^

Feely: Hey, Feely, thanks a lot for reading my fic! I like Jin too! He's adorable! 

Nikka4: Miyoshi's a cutie. Sure, sure, Yuma's gonna have a change of heart… I guess (heh heh, sorry, bad attempt at suspense). Enjoy this chapter! 

            Under the vague light from the moon, Kat made her way around the public park, walking silently in the seemingly empty air. She'd left the restaurant hours ago without waiting for either Yuma or Miyoshi to come back. Sure, it was rude, but Kat was sure if she had stayed even a single millisecond there, her head would simply explode due to intense mental pressure.

            So she'd left. 

            And she'd walked. Walked and walked and walked, going wherever her feet led her. She felt slightly refreshed. Her head was soothingly clear and calm. Her movements were relaxed and a small smile had even made its way on her face. 

            It didn't matter what she did. Whether she avoided Jin, stayed away from his games or refused to speak about him, what more _to_ him, Yuma was still disdainful. What was she doing wrong? Kat mused. What was it that continued to aggravate Yuma? It wasn't the first time Kat had fallen for the opposite sex. She'd dated before, and had a pretty active love life. Yuma had been nonchalant and easy then. Yuma hadn't complained as much when Kat had opted to spend time with her current squeeze. 

_            What am I doing wrong this time?_

            Sure, she'd changed ever so slightly, Kat admitted. Maybe she'd realized that getting yellow teeth from smoking wasn't so appealing anymore and had decided to stop. So what? She wasn't stopping anyone else from smoking, least of all Yuma. It was just a personal goal.

            And maybe she'd gotten a bit boring now, even to the extent that she thought twice about stealing ugly candy. But perhaps she just didn't want that ugly candy. Besides, if she had been the one selling the candy, she wouldn't be too happy to find some missing. She was just slightly more concerned about other people now. So what? It was her feeling. It didn't bother anyone else.

            And maybe she _was_ getting slightly better in schoolwork. It didn't harm anyone if she got a 'B' or if God was being extra nice, an 'A'. It wasn't a crime or anything. It only meant that she was good. So maybe she liked being good at something. So what? Couldn't a person be proud of herself? 

            Kat paused under a tree that she had already passed twice. 

            All the things she did, she did for herself. Nobody got hurt or killed. 

            So what's with Yuma?

            _I suppose we're so used to doing things in groups._ Kat rolled her eyes. _We do what the group wants to do. One for all, and all for one. What I'm doing now is one for one. I guess that's unacceptable._

            But why not?

            Why must she keep on following the herd?

            Kat paused in her musings and laughed. _Darn, I'm even using metaphors now. Following the herd. Jeez._

            She walked on further, nearing an open space with an idea of doing some stargazing. Then she heard some muffled sniffling and to her surprise, found a small body lying on one of the sturdy benches scattered all over the park. It was a girl, that Kat was fairly sure of, sobbing into her little sweatshirt.

            Kat looked around, hoping to see some parent dash up and take the kid away. Maybe the kid was lost. The public park was huge, after all. And at the moment, it was decidedly deserted.

            Kat turned on her heels, thought of walking off to somewhere else. She didn't know the kid and vice versa. None of her business. Somebody would come along sooner or later and save the little girl.

            Kat had taken one step when she hesitated and turned around to look at the little girl again. It was really late. Would somebody really come along? What if a mass murderer or a mad axe-man was loitering around the place? How would she forgive herself if the little girl ended up dead in the morning?

            Cursing her overworked imagination, Kat took a deep breath and approached the girl awkwardly. Kat didn't like kids. And neither did they like her. Kids, as far as Kat was concerned, were bothersome, and they cry a lot. _But then again_, Kat reminded herself. _You were a kid too, once upon a time. Probably ten times worse than the average spoilt kid._

            "Um… hi," she began and watched the girl's head whip up. Her cheeks were red from the cold night and tears rolled down like flowing river. "Are you, er, lost?"

            The girl sat up, rubbed the flood on her cheeks away. "Y-Yeth."

            Kat almost grinned at the lisp. How surprisingly adorable. "Don't worry. I'm just a girl who happened to walk by. I won't hurt you."

            The girl stared solemnly at her. "Okay."

            "Where are your parents?"

            "They're not here."

            Kat's lips twitched in annoyance. "Yes, I can see that. Where's your home?"

            The girl started sobbing again. "I-I don't k-know…"

            Kat's mouth dropped open. "Eh?" was all she could manage.

            "I thaw – I thaw an ice cream truck," the girl told her brokenly. "I wanted ice cream. I followed the truck."

            Kat rubbed the back of her head. "You saw an ice cream truck and chased after it? And then you got lost and couldn't find your way back?"

            The girl nodded. "Yeth."

            Ice cream trucks should be banned. Sighing, Kat placed her hands on her hips. "If we pass your house, would you be able to recognize it?"

            "I- I think tho…"

            "You _think_ so?" Kat closed her eyes helplessly. "Okay then," she gently took the girl's hand and pulled her up. "I'm guessing your house is somewhere around here because you couldn't have gone after the truck very far. We'll walk around and when we pass your house, you tell me, okay?"

            The girl nodded. "Okay." Obediently, she let Kat tug her.

            They exited the park and crossed the street, heading for the neighbourhood nearby. One look at the zig-zagging roads that divided themselves into thousands of other little streets had Kat groaning. _This could take forever._ "Okay, we'll, um, walk down these streets one by one."

            And they walked. At every single house, Kat stopped to ask if the girl recognized it. When they got to the end of a street, they walked down another street. And so on.

            At one point, the girl stopped. Kat whirled around anxiously. "Is this the house? Is it your house?" _Please say yes, please say yes. I'm sick of walking._

            The girl shook her head. "I'm tired."

            Before she could even think, Kat found herself picking the girl up and carrying her with surprisingly strong arms. "Okay, let's go on." _Good God she's heavy. I hope her house isn't in the zillionth street._ "So, do you have lots of friends in this area?"

            "Yeth."

            "That's good, that is."

            "But Kara ith not my friend anymore," the girl told her. 

            "Why?"

            "Kara wath not being a friend."

            Kat blinked at the simplicity of the answer. "What did Kara do that was un-friend-like?"

            "She hated me," the girl answered. "I got a new doll, and showed it to Rina. Kara wath angry. She only wanted me to show it to her."

            "Well, maybe she likes you so much that she's jealous when you pay attention to other people?" Kat tried. "Maybe she just wants you for herself."

            "But I don't belong to her." The girl said defensively. "I belong to mythelf. It wath my doll. I could do what I want with it."

            Kat looked down at her. "Yeah," she muttered slowly. "We all belong to ourselves. Nobody can take what belongs to us."

            "Yeth! Nobody can take my doll. And if Kara wants to play with my doll, she hath to play with Rina too because I won't be happy if I play with her alone."

            "And if Kara doesn't want to play with Rina?"

            "Kara ith not being a friend."

            Kat smiled slowly, nodded. "Right." She murmured. "Right. You should always be with people who will make you happy, not people who expect you to make them happy."

            "Yeth!"

            They beamed at each other. Then, the girl pointed to her right. "Oh! That's the house! That's the house!"

            Kat squinted at the building, tried to make it out its features, but the only thing she could see was the brightly lit living room. Everything else was shaded under the darkness. "Okay." She put the girl down and followed as she raced to the gate. 

            "Auntie! Auntie!" the girl cried out, clutching at the gate with her two, little hands. "I'm back! Chiro-kun! Auntie!"

            "I don't think they can hear you," Kat informed dryly. "Let's ring the doorbell." She leaned down to rub her hand on the wall to find the button and managed to make out the house number. _Fifty. Hmm…_

             But before she could press anything, the front door burst open, and one long figure shot out. "Mika! Thank God!"

            "Chiro-kun!" The girl was all but jumping one feet in the air. 

            Kat smiled at the happy ending to the night's journey, but then froze when she found herself face-to-face with 'Chiro-kun'. "Jin!"

            He looked at her in surprise. "Kat! What – How-" But he couldn't finish his sentence as Mika launched herself at him and hugged him tight. 

            "Chiro-kun!"

            "It's okay, Mika," he crouched down to reassure her. "You're home now. Where have you been? We've been searching all over for you."

            "I got lost." Mika looked over Jin's shoulders. "Auntie! Auntie!" she cried out as Jin's mom came bustling out, hair haggard. "I got lost!" Then she was swept up into a hug.

            "I was so worried!" Jin's mom sighed out. "Your mother is frantic! Where on earth have you been? Look at you! You're cold! Let's get you in and all warmed up." She looked up distractedly. "Oh, it's you, Kat! I haven't seen you for quite some time now! Thank you so much for bringing our baby back! We're eternally grateful to you."

            Kat shifted uneasily. "Um, well –"

            "Now, I'm going to bring Mika to my room for a hot shower. Jin, invite Kat in, will you? Get your sister to make some tea." With that, she scooped Mika into her arms and carried the girl in with far more ease than Kat could ever manage.

            "Okay," Jin nodded. "I'll come up and check on Mika later." He thrust his hands deep into his pockets and looked slowly at Kat. "My cousin," he supplied with an awkward smile, inclining his head. "Came over for a visit."

            Kat nodded quickly. "She, um, chased an ice cream truck and got lost." Kat pointed wildly to her right side. "I found her at the park."

            Jin glanced at her shaking hand. "The park is on the other side."

            Kat blinked. "Right. Sorry." She quickly pointed to the right direction. "We walked around the entire neighbourhood looking for a house she might recognize."

            Jin rubbed his head, suddenly grinning. "And all this while we've been calling the cops, the fire brigade, the army and the President to start searching the country."

"I – I didn't know she was your cousin."

            The grin faded. "Would you have come all the way here if you'd known?"

That's it for now. Good news: you can expect faster updates! (faster would be – in my definition – once a week)

nothingtodo


	14. unexpected

Have fun reading this chapter! I've just finished re-reading the entire Slam Dunk comic again (nothing better to fill my time with) (he he) and I MUST say this: Takehiko Inoue, you're a GENIUS!

Xabie: Thanks, xabie, for taking the trouble to review! Am flattered to be one of your favourite authors! And that was really some review! Wiseness runs in the family? Jin's wise? Wahahahaha! *shuts up at xabie's glare* Er, yes, yes, of course Jin is wise. And why do you own a machine gun?? You should be arrested! ^_^

Tiran-2366: *hugs tiran back* Jin is DEFINITELY NOT little. He's so tall! Don't feel bad about reviewing, cuz I know you'll be reading. ^_^

Whitesiren: Wait no longer!

Crazy4u: Yeah? I've only read one Chicken Soup book so far. They're nice, but I somehow get bored. Something wrong with me, ne? You're already stressed? He he… *evil glint in nothingtodo's eyes* Wait till May … and November… waahahahaha! And no, I'm not chosen for Khidmat Negara. I'm not even seventeen yet!

Jeano: Hey, I'm back and updating! You still remember me? He he he…*gets really big-headed* I'm saying 'hi' back to you!

Patty g: I'll give her some ice-cream later. You actually made a song out of it! Wahahahaha! 

Mitsui_jir: Two words- THANK YOU! ^_^ 

"Would you have come all the way here if you'd known?"

            Kat frowned at the question. "I – well, I suppose I would," she muttered, and trying to make it light, said: "It sure would've taken me less than five minutes instead of one hour!"

            Jin smiled briefly. Then he seemed to realise something. "Do you want to come in? Sorry, I should have asked you in sooner instead of letting you stand outside in the cold. I can get my lazy sister to make some tea."

            Kat angled her head. "Seems to me you're the lazy one here. You can easily make it yourself."

            The smile came again, this time more genuine. "Good point. Coming?" He waited for an answer and raised an eyebrow when Kat continued to stare at him. "Kat?"

            Kat blinked, as if she had just been shaken out of a reverie. "What? Oh, no. I was just …" She struggled for an answer to justify herself. _Looking at you? Admiring you? Missing you?_

            "I know what you were just." The lop-sided smile seemed grim somehow. "Have you forgotten what I look like?"

            Kat almost snorted. _Like I could._ Impulsively, she opened her mouth. "I need to talk to you."

            "Since when were we not on speaking terms?"

            Kat looked surprised. "Since… er, since I started avoiding you?" she answered, only it didn't sound like an answer. "Since – since we were over?"

            Jin blinked. "We were over?"

            It seemed her heart thumped right through her rib cage. "I thought –" she began, stuttering. "I thought you didn't – I mean, after how I treated you – I thought we were done –"

            "I didn't make all the decisions," he pointed out. "You did."

            Kat stared even harder at him. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh shrilly. "You still –" she tried, knowing she wasn't making sense.  "You still –"

            He seemed to understand, though. "I still."

            Kat clasped her hands, very near to tears now. "Then I _really_ need to talk to you – but not now." She added quickly. "I've got another stop to make." She was all but bouncing on her feet to go. "Thank your cousin for me. She's an angel."

            Then she was running into the darkness.

            Jin watched her go, and then sighed. "No tea, then."

            Out of breath, Kat stood on the porch that she had been stepping on for years.  In front of her, Yuma leaned against the doorframe, just as breathless from her run downstairs. Both, it seemed, had been racing to each other.

            "I need to talk to you," they said simultaneously.       

            "Me first –"

            "No, me first –"

            "No! Let me –"

            "SHUT UP!" Yuma's brother bellowed from the window on the second floor. His head popped out and he glared furiously at them. "Some people need sleep!"

            In a practiced move, Yuma threw her left slipper at him.

            When he had surrendered back inside with a red nose, Kat turned back to Yuma. "I'm sorry about leaving abruptly this evening," she quickly said. "I hope Miyoshi isn't mad. Yuma, I want to tell you –"

            "Shut up and let me speak first," Yuma snapped. 

            Kat froze, open- mouthed. 

            "Listen," Yuma started, her tone still sulkily edgy," I've been doing a lot of thinking, okay? That's something I don't usually do." She glared at Kat. "I've always been a good friend, haven't I?"

            Kat blinked. Then she nodded slowly and carefully.

            "But lately I've been such a pain in the butt, haven't I?"

            "Yuma –"

            "I said shut up, Kat," she cut in sharply. "Can't I even apologise without you interrupting me every damn minute?" 

            "I-" Kat started, but wisely refrained herself. 

            "I know I've been very difficult on you," Yuma started again. Her tone remained cold and flat. "It's not that I'm jealous of you or anything. It's not Jin that I'm against. I don't really give a rat's ass who you go out with. It's just –" she halted.

            Kat waited.

            Yuma took a deep breath. A brief look of pain flitted across her face. "I didn't want to tell you," she began again, talking slowly, her voice gradually fading. "I've got lung cancer."

            Kat's head reeled and she took a cautious step back. "What?"

            "I said shut up."

            "What on earth –"

            "Kat! Shut up!" Yuma's eyes were furious now, but weakly so. "I went for a check-up a couple of weeks ago. I found out about it."

            "Alone? You went alone?"

            A snarl-like smile appeared on Yuma's face. "You were busy gunning down bad guys in the arcade with Jin."

            Kat bit her lip, shaking her head in disbelief. The tears that she had successfully fought back at Jin's house now poured out. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry –"

            "For the last time, Kat, shut up." Yuma muttered. "It's not your fault I've got this stupid thing growing in my lungs. Even if you had gone with me, it wouldn't make any difference. But I admit that I was angry then." Yuma let out a short laugh. "I mean, there I was, terrified at what's going on in my body, and you spending more and more time with Jin and all but planning to run off with him."

            Kat ran an unsteady hand through her hair. 

            "I resented you then. I hated being terrified alone. I know, I know," Yuma raised a hand when Kat opened her mouth. "I could've just told you. I knew you would've raced to my side. But I didn't."

            Yuma cast her eyes down. "I was so mad when I found out you'd stopped smoking. It didn't seem fair to me that I had lung cancer, and you were stopping just like that, all healthy and strong. I often wished it was you who had the disease, not me."

            Kat didn't say anything. 

            Yuma looked quietly at her friend. "I'm sorry. It was a hateful thing to wish for. It had to take Miyoshi's lecture to ring some bells in my head. I haven't been a good friend lately, and I'm sorry."

            Silence ensued. 

            "Well?" Yuma spoke up. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

            Kat wiped the tears away, and tried to get her voice out. "I – I want to be with Jin. I …"

            "You love him," Yuma finished.

            "I haven't told him that," Kat muttered, her cheeks turning a warm shade of pink. "But your … disease… it changes everything. If I had known –"

            "The most you could have done was pass the tissue as I cried my eyes out," Yuma completed dryly. "I've done enough damage to you and Jin, I suppose. No need to kick him out again just because I'm sick."

            "But you're my friend," Kat said, furiously blinking to stop the pools of tears in her eyes from going out. 

            "And you're mine." Yuma shrugged. "I'm not some mentally-retarded girl who can't take care of herself. Besides, I've got Miyoshi. If you dump Jin now, what will happen to you when I die and leave you all alone and kicking yourself for being stupid?"

            "YUMA!"

            "Sorry, bad joke," Yuma gave a small smile. "Look, I've escaped the self-pitying state. It's not serious. The cancer hasn't affected my whole lungs yet."

            "But –"

            Yuma placed a hand on Kat's shoulder, a gesture she hadn't shown for so long. "Listen, Kat, being your friend for six years, I have to say that I have never seen you happier than you were with Jin and any more miserable than you were without him. I've made you unhappy by making you choose me over him, and I've gained nothing from it. Do me a favour and don't lose this guy you're mad about. He'll make you happy, and maybe in turn you'll make me happy." Yuma shrugged her shoulders. "What goes around comes around, so the cliché says."

            Kat looked at her, lost for words. "Have you … does Miyoshi know?"

            Yuma's eyes clouded slightly. "No. Not yet." She took a deep breath. "I will tell him some day soon." She raised an eyebrow at Kat. "Will you be there?"

Wee hooo! Hope you enjoyed that. Tra~la~la~la…


	15. have you, or have you not?

Another chapter! … *runs out of things to say* Er, enjoy!

Xabie: man… another mafia on the loose. Too short??? I thought it was pretty long! It seems your definition of short and my definition of short don't match!

Fehr-chan: Green with tea… wahahahahah! What a good expression! Yeah, haven't heard from you. Mail me soon!

Crazy4u: Oh ya. Sorry. Forgot that PMR and SPM begin at different times. *sigh* When you leave school, you kinda lose perspective. For example, I tried to write a Malay e-mail to my friend and got everything mixed up. My BM teacher would've died!

Xiaoj: Thanks! Hope you like this chappie too!

Patty g: Updating! *sings along* la-di-da-di-da~

            "Whoooo!" Kiyota yelled out loud as the team exited the bullet train. "Hiroshima, here we are!"

            Maki snorted. "I doubt even a grain of sand in Hiroshima cares about your presence."

            "Maki! Why are you in such a bad mood? We're going for the Nationals!"

            "I'm not in a bad mood, Kiyota. I'm just stating facts."

            "Cheer up, Maki! You don't have to be worried about the games! With me by your side, we'll win for sure!" Kiyota rushed off to the exit, cackling, his wild hair flying behind his head.

            Maki smiled wryly. "At least I can be sure one of us is upbeat and ready."

            "You're upbeat and ready yourself." Jin commented, walking at his side.

            "What about you?" Maki asked curiously, hooking an arm around the tall boy's shoulders. 

            "Me? I'm looking forward to the games."

            "Hmmm…" Maki hummed casually. "Your lady problems settled already?" He cocked an eyebrow at Jin's embarrassed facial expression. "I just don't want you to be distracted."

            Jin blew a breath. "Um, well, the truth is I haven't seen her ever since she appeared mysteriously at my doorstep with my cousin." He frowned a little and sighed. "That was a month ago."

            "Hmm…" Maki hummed again. "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned her because _now_ you're distracted."

            Jin looked reassuringly at his captain. "I'll be fine."

            Maki continued humming.

            "What a beautiful stadium!" Kiyota exclaimed as they entered the premises. "How come our school gym isn't as beautiful as this, coach? Maybe you should suggest to the school to upgrade our basketball court?"

            "Sure I will," the coach answered good-naturedly, "just as soon as you write me a check for a zillion yen to fund the project."

            The whole team burst laughing as Kiyota muttered under his breath.

            Maki scanned the hallway as they headed for the players' room. Then, his eyebrows suddenly shot up and he looked quickly at Jin, who almost took a step back at the sudden intense glare. 

            "Jin," Maki started. "Hold up your right hand."

            Jin held up his right hand. 

            "Now repeat after me. I, Jin Souichirou, hereby take oath that I will not be distracted during the game nor in any way hinder my other teammates from winning the match."

            Jin had a pained look on his face. "Maki, I told you I'll be fine."

            Maki, grim-faced, cocked his head towards the row of seats at one corner of the hallway. "You deal with that and then you tell me again." Then he led the team away and left Jin alone.

            Jin scanned the row of seats curiously and almost gaped at the sight of Kat sprawled across four of the seats, soundly sleeping. Unsure whether to laugh out loud or smack his forehead in disbelief, he made his way to her. 

            "Kat?" he shook her gently. "Kat, wake up."

            Groggy eyes slowly opened and assessed him. Then a slow smile spread over the face that Jin had always found outrageously and devilishly appealing. "Hello." Kat sat up and rubbed her sore back. 

            "When did you arrive here?" Jin asked, settling himself on a seat beside her. 

            Kat yawned and stretched. "Just a few hours ago. Got lost but eventually found my way here. I've been waiting for you."

            "You didn't have to come all the way here," he told her, though he knew he didn't mean that. "You could've just talked to me over the phone."

            Kat shrugged. "One, my message cannot be delivered over the phone," she informed him. "Two, I wanted to watch you in action, at least once. And three, I just wanted to see your face."

            He smiled, his insides strangely going warm. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

            "Just this." She muttered and leaned sideways to kiss him. 

            When she finally pulled back, Jin released an explosive breath. "You, uh, sure get your message across."

            "I sure do." She squeezed his hand and got up to make her way to the seats inside. "Good luck."

            "Are you distracted?" Maki leaped at Jin as soon as he entered the players' room. "Are you distracted? Are you distracted?"

            Jin laughed. "Are you kidding?" he said confidently, "We're winning this match."

            "How are you?"

            Yuma sniffed and scowled at the hospital food stretched out in front of her. "They're starving me," she claimed to Jin, glaring at the unoffending plate. "Broccoli? Mushrooms? They actually call this lunch?"

            "Just eat it," Miyoshi muttered.

            "No way."

            Miyoshi and Kat looked at each other across the bed. "Time for Operation one-oh-one." Miyoshi sighed while Kat nodded solemnly. Smoothly, Miyoshi pinned down Yuma's arms while Kat scooped a spoonful of broccoli and proceeded to stuff it down Yuma's mouth. 

            Yuma laughingly protested, threatening all sorts of things.

            "Whoa," Kat evaded a kick well aimed. "Could you hold down her legs, Jin? She's feisty." 

            "Okay."

            When all the food had been successfully transferred from the plate into Yuma's grumbling mouth and they were seated around her with Miyoshi playing some tune in his battered harmonica and Kat fussily rearranging flowers in a pretty vase, Yuma beckoned Jin to come closer to her.

            "Congratulations on being the second in the Nationals," she whispered.

            Jin smiled. "Thank you."

            "I know I haven't exactly been nice to you," Yuma admitted ruefully, "and I just want to say I'm sorry and that I don't hate you."

            "I'm relieved," he confessed. "Because I like you."

            Yuma patted his hand affectionately. "Smart thing to say," she approved. "And now you've just won my undying - though sometimes wavering - friendship."

            "And you've won mine."

            Yuma leaned forward to whisper in his ears. "I've got a little secret to tell you."

            Jin cocked his head sideways. "Oh?"

            "Despite everything I've said about you before, in truth I think you're absolutely to die for."

            Jin laughed, but Yuma had more to say. "Now tell me the truth," she murmured, cautiously making sure Kat wasn't listening. "Have you or have you not done _it_ with Kat?"

            It was her turn to laugh as Jin turned a furious shade of magenta. Distracted from her current activity, Kat looked in surprise at Yuma who was shaking with mirth. "Something funny?" she asked curiously. 

            "Nothing," Jin shook his head quickly, blindly reaching for a drink. "Nothing at all."

            Yuma just kept on laughing. 

Dear readers – END. ^_^ By the way, in case any of you are interested, i've got two new fics up - one Kogure and one of Card Captor Sakura (he he... venturing into new anime) Read them if you want and leave them if you don't!


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